‘Skookum’ aluminium toolboxes built to last generations
By Kathy O'Reilly, North Island Eagle, March 28 2025
Things are more ‘Skookum’ than ever on the North Island.
Skookum is a Chinook jargon word used in British Columbia that means strong or monstrous.
Those definitions are certainly true of Paul Getman’s toolboxes that carry the name Skookum.
Paul first came to the North Island in 1978 and worked part of a summer at the Telegraph Cove sawmill.
“My younger brother and I rented a small cabin from Olmer Brown down near Beach Camp in Port McNeill. That was a fun adventure for an 18-year-old.”
Paul then headed back to Nanaimo, where he mostly grew up, and called home at the time.
“The next time I came up to the North Island was in 1984, this time to Port Hardy. There was little work to be had in Nanaimo at the time and my intention was to be here for three or four months, make some money then head back,” he said.
“Six others and I shared a rented suite above the old Corney’s Market. In the spring of ‘85 the lot of us moved to a big house in Coal Harbour.”
A couple of years after that, Paul met an attractive young lady named Stephanie.
“Long story short, two kids, a handful of grandkids plus many cats and dogs later, I’m still here,” he said.
“The North Island has been a great place for a young Paul Getman to have grown roots and has been a wonderful place to bring up a family and call home for these past 41 years,” he said.
Paul maintains the Good Lord gives each of us one skill or another.
“For me, I’ve always been good at fixing and building things and am somewhat self-taught in much of what I do.”
In the case of his toolboxes though, “Joel Eilertson, who has the float planes and museum at the hanger in Coal Harbour, showed me how to rivet properly. He was also very generous with the use of his metal shop in the Hanger where I built the first three aluminum toolboxes.”
After building those, Paul went ahead and purchased some sheet metal tools of his own and is now building Skookum toolboxes in his own backyard workshop.
In terms of why he began crafting toolboxes, like many good ideas, necessity was the mother of invention.
“Over my working career, I’ve probably worn out at least 15 toolboxes. The metal ones rust, and the plastic ones crack and pieces fall off. So, I thought, why not just build myself a good ‘Skookum’ toolbox once and for all and be done with it,” he explained.
Building the first ones went so well, “I figured why not build a few more and offer them up for sale”.
All the toolboxes are constructed using 16-gauge (1/16 inch) marine grade aluminium and aluminium rivets.
Each one takes eight to 10 hours - start to finish.
“I generally build four or five at a time, assembly line fashion.”
Paul likes the work.
“I do enjoy building something I know will far outlast me and likely outlast the purchaser also.”
Paul’s Skookum toolboxes are for sale at Port Hardy Building Supply.
“Keith and Angela have generously given me space in their store to display my toolboxes and I also advertise them on Facebook Marketplace.”
He also brought them to the North Island Farmers’ and Artisans Market in Port McNeill March 15. “Building these toolboxes will be a great little retirement hobby - if I ever get around to the retirement part.”
Photo — Kathy O'Reilly
Paul Getman, from Coal Harbour, with one of his handcrafted Skookum toolboxes.
BC Hockey U18 Female Championships a resounding North Island success
North Island Eagle, March 28 2025
The BC Hockey U18 Female Championships recently brought talented young athletes and their families to the North Island, creating an event that was both competitive and community driven.
The tournament, which featured high-calibre hockey, was made possible by the dedication of over 50 volunteers, with BC Hockey Supervisors Cyndy Grant and Liza Furney providing essential oversight.
The organizing committee’s efforts ensured a seamless and memorable experience for all participants.
Local businesses embraced the championship spirit by decorating their windows and extending warm welcomes to players and spectators alike. The generosity of these businesses went even further, with sponsorships covering the cost of admission, allowing fans to enjoy the games for free. In addition, a beautiful banquet was hosted in honour of the athletes, celebrating their achievements and the hard work that earned them a place in the Championships.
The North Island Impact, the host team, proudly represented themselves throughout the weekend, showcasing their talent and sportsmanship.
The Impact team played some great hockey. Finishing mid pack with a win, a tie and two losses. Player illness played a role in this unfortunately, but they played some great hockey and had four close games. They played with so much class, and several came out to cheer the other teams on right until the end.
They also had team cheerleader, Blakely Devlin, out to run dry land which made the young hockey player happy.
The event also received outstanding support from the Chilton Regional Arena staff, who went above and beyond to provide an excellent environment for the tournament, reflecting the pride of the Regional District of Mount Waddington.
Their efforts did not go unnoticed by visitors.
The North Shore Avalanche team left a thank you at Devil’s Bath Brewing Co., and a beer in the bank, for one of the ice makers that worked so hard all weekend (they all deserved one!)
This event highlighted not only the high level of competition in female hockey but also the strong sense of community within the North Island. The collaboration between volunteers, businesses, and hockey enthusiasts ensured a successful championship that will be fondly remembered by all involved.
The fun extended off the ice.
The Trail Wildcats took the opportunity to enjoy being on the ocean with a full team swim at Storey’s Beach, several players went to Macy’s Place in Port Hardy to have pictures taken with the hockey stick Stanley Cup.
The officials also had mentoring throughout the whole weekend by Darren Mahaffey, with BC Hockey. It was a great opportunity to discuss calls, situations they find themselves in, and was a great team building opportunity for many of our senior refs. We were really proud of the job they did managing the games all weekend. We cannot thank the volunteers, staff, business, and fans enough for all the support shown to these teams, their families, and to Tri-Port Minor Hockey this week.
We could not have been prouder to show off our North Island Communities and the positive feedback is continuing to pour in.
Photo —Anthony Bucci
The North Island Impact were the host team at the BC Hockey U18 Female Championships in the Chilton Regional Arena in Port McNeill. The Kelowna Rockets won Gold in a 1-0 game against the Trail Wildcats.