The City of Ottawa and Hull were founded on the lumber trade, and more specifically, white pine forests that lined the Ottawa River and its tributaries.  Every year at the peak of the lumber trade, 1 billion board feet were floated down the Ottawa River.  River Pigs (lumberjacks) would free up log jams along the route and sort the logs based on which lumber mill they worked for.  Many lumberjacks lost their lives doing this dangerous work.