Eastern white pine

Eastern white pine has played a key role in the economic life of French Canada. In the 19th century, armies of lumberjacks were employed felling and driving this valuable timber. In the days of the great sailing ships, its tall trunks made it essential to the shipbuilding industry. The tree was venerated by the Iroquois, who used it in some twenty medicinal preparations and believed that it could even cure diseases caused by evil spirits. It is used in making lumber, woodwork, furniture and musical instruments.