In 1916 a Canadian patent was issued for a gas-engine powered drag saw, and in early 1918 the inventor began manufacturing it in Vancouver under his own name, Donald MacGregor. In October 1918 it was announced that the Wee MacGregor Saw Manufacturing Company had been formed to take over the rapidly growing business. MacGregor was finding it difficult to find skilled workers in Vancouver and it was announced that manufacturing would be moving to Montreal, with MacGregor supervising and business partner A. H. Milroy running the Vancouver operations. It's not clear whether manufacturing actually moved to Montreal.

The company was initially formed as a partnership with MacGregor, Andrew Milroy and Arthur Herbert Milroy. The two Milroys left the partnership in November 1919, but the business continued without them for a time. The latest reliable mentions of Wee MacGregor Saw Mfg. Co. we have found are from about 1923. We have seen reports indicating that the Canadian Army were using Wee MacGregor saws during World War II but it is not known if these saws had been recently manufactured.

Information Sources

• Thanks to Alex F. of the SmokStak.com engines forum, who drew our attention to this maker and sent us a picture of a Wee MacGregor nameplate. The saw bears a Canadian patent number, 172,282, which was issued in 1916 and can be seen under the "Patents" tab on this page.
• June 1918 Canada trademark registration, "23633. Donald MacGregor, Vancouver, British Columbia. Drag Saws. Words: "Wee MacGregor," 24th June, 1918."
• 1918 issues of Western Lumberman carry ads from Donald MacGregor beginning with the March issue, the October announcement of the formation of the Wee MacGregor Saw Mfg. Co., and subsequent ads from that firm.
• October 1918 Western Lumberman page 79.

  The Wee MacGregor Saw Manufacturing Company has been formed to take over the business carried on by Donald McGregor, 104 Main Street, Vancouver, manufacturer of the "Wee MacGregor" portable gasoline drag saw, the expansion being due to the necessity of providing for a greater output to take care of increased business. Owing to the lack of skilled help for the building of these drag saws at Vancouver it has been decided by the company to establish manufacturing facilities at Montreal, and at a later date, when labor conditions improve at the Coast, to transfer manufacturing operations to Vancouver, where the complete machine will be built. Mr. MacGregor will personally supervise manufacturing operations at Montreal until the factory is in good running order; in the meantime the management of the Vancouver head office will be under the direction of A. H. Milroy, who has been in the machinery business in Eastern pre Canada for a number of years. For the present the Vancouver office will continue at 104 Main Street. Mr. MacGregor carries the best wishes of a host of friends with him on his trip East.

• 1919-11-27 British Columbia Gazette page 4061.

  DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP. / Province of British Columbia: County of Vancouver.

  We, Andrew Milroy and Arthur Herbert Milroy, formerly members of the firm carrying on on business as drag-saw manufacturers, in the County of Vancouver, under the style of "Wee MacGregor Saw Manufacturing Company," do hereby certify that the said partnership was, on the 14th day of November, dissolved.

  Witness our hands at Vancouver this 18th day of November, 1919.
  Andrew Milroy
  A. H. Milroy

• A web search turned up an article indicating that the Burnaby Heritage Museum has a "1905" Wee MacGregor drag saw in its collection. Manufacture of the Wee MacGregor did not actually start until 1918.
• An online version of the 1943 diary of the 13 Radio Detachment of the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) mentions that they used a Wee MacGregor saw to cut driftwood. This was at Amphitrite Point, BC.