Barrel Ladder and Platform, Waterloo, Ontario; circa 1970; 96.3.8, 96.3.19.
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Barrel Ladder and Platform, Waterloo, Ontario; circa 1970; 96.3.8, 96.3.19. View Image Notes in New Window |
Maturation is the gradual flavour development of whisky in a charred white oak barrel. Through the processes of absorption and extraction under varying conditions of temperature, humidity and ventilation, a desired marriage of wood and whisky flavours is achieved. After water has been added to new distillate and quality assurance tests are completed, the whisky is ready for entry into maturing warehouses for ageing. By law, Canadian whisky must be aged for a minimum of three years.
For most men, their initial job at the Seagram distillery was in the warehouses moving barrels. "Entry" and "withdrawal" crews of five or six men were responsible for locating and moving between 200-300, 500-pound, barrels per day. The barrels were stored on wooden racks in warehouses located on-site and, after 1959, off site at a facility in Breslau, just outside Kitchener. Working conditions in each warehouse varied, depending on the age of the building. The older warehouses required the use of block and tackle to move barrels, while in newer or updated facilities, the workers used electric hoists and elevators to assist them in the strenuous task of retrieving and entering barrels. Working in the warehouses demanded the ability to work under low lighting conditions between narrow rows of barrels. The potential for injury was high and employees were continuously reminded to "watch themselves" while on the job.
The foreman and his assistant supervised work in the warehouses. The foreman was responsible for recording barrel entry and withdrawal information and for ensuring that daily quotas were met. Locating the barrels and providing entry and withdrawal instructions to the crew was the responsibility of the assistant foreman, or the "seven-and-a-halfer", as he was called by those who, at one time, received 7 1/2 cents less per hour than the assistant foremen. Jobs within the warehouse were assigned according to seniority, the more labour intensive tasks were given to the newer members of the team. The choice job among the warehouse crew was the less physically demanding task of emptying the barrels in the dumping room, more fondly referred to as "the dream home".
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