The Development of Wood Pulp Paper – Nova Scotia, Charles Fenerty, c1844

Charles Fenerty (1821–1892) was a Canadian inventor and poet. Born in Upper Sackville, Nova Scotia, his father was a lumberman and farmer who clear-cut local forests for lumber, which he would ship to Halifax. The Fenertys operated several lumber mills, and from an early age, Charles held various positions in the mills.

In his late teens, Fenerty met Titus Smith, a well-known naturalist, and learned that trees also contained fibers. This discovery revealed similarities between lumber mills and paper mills. At the time, paper was made from pulped rags, cotton, and other plant fibers. However, the demand for paper was outstripping the supply of rags, and Europe began reducing its shipments of cotton to North America.

From 1839 to 1841, Fenerty experimented with wood fibers at the Acadia Paper Mill, a local paper mill. In 1844, he took a handwritten sample of his paper to Halifax’s leading newspaper, The Acadian Recorder, which at that time was being run by John English and Hugh W. Blackadar.

Sadly, he never fully developed his process or applied for a patent. Credit is generally attributed to Friedrich Keller, a German weaver, who secured a patent in 1845. German newspapers were the first to adopt this new paper. By the end of the 19th century, nearly all newspapers in the Western world were using pulp wood newsprint.

On Canada Day, in 1987, Canada Post issued a stamp to honor his significant contribution to the printing industry.