Doyle, Henry

Henry Doyle was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and moved with his family to San Francisco in 1875, where his father established the fish supply firm of Henry Doyle and Company. In 1890, the younger Doyle was sent to British Columbia on a mission for his father's firm. In 1895 he became manager of the new Doyle Fishing Company (Canadian Division) in Vancouver. After his father's death in 1898, Doyle became General Manager of the company. He was appointed the first General Manager of the British Columbia Packers' Association in 1902. Doyle's career in the Pacific fishery industry spanned over sixty years, and included positions such as President and General Manager of Skeena River Commercial Company, Limited (beginning 1904), Managing Director of the Fort Nelson Canning and Salting Company (1905), co-operator of the Lighthouse Cannery at Steveston and the Royal Packing Company (beginning 1906), owner of the Mill Bay Cannery and the Namu and Kimsquit canneries (1908 -1916), part-owner of Draney Fisheries Ltd. (beginning 1912), and part-owner of the Winch-Doyle Northern B.C. Fisheries (1916-1923). Doyle was also involved with fisheries committees, including the Select Standing Committee on Marine and Fisheries and the Parliamentary Fisheries Committee in the early 1920s. In 1948, Doyle developed an interest in the incursion of hydro-electric dams into sockeye spawning areas. He completed his manuscript Rise and Decline of the Pacific Salmon Fisheries in 1957. [Excerpt from "Henry Doyle, An inventory of his fonds" (page 2) by Melanie Hardbattle (August 2002) in Rare Books and Special Collections, UBC Library].