This 1900 stereoscopic view shows a steamer being loaded with wheat from Elevator "C" in Fort William. Known as "grain trimmers", these men are responsible for the proper loading or "trimming" of grain carriers. A "well trimmed" ship means that the cargo is evenly distributed throughout its hold to prevent any sudden shifts of weight which could make the vessel keel over. In the early days of grain shipping, grain trimmers would stand down in the hold stripped to the waist, shovelling furiously trying to avoid being buried in the flood of grain. Another hazard was grain dust, a potential cause of grain fever and unconsciousness, and still linked to breathing disorders. Today, mechanization had virtually eliminated manual labour in ship loading.
Unlike most manual labourers, early grain trimmers were exclusively British and relatively well paid. Members of the International Longshoremen's Association since 1903, they were held liable in event of damages caused by faulty loading. At Thunder Bay, many of the grain trimmers have organized their own company which handles loading of lakers on a contract basis. A private company specializes in trimming "salties", or ocean-going vessels.
