Industrial site.

Details of Site Location: The south side of Lawrence Avenue on the east side of the railway tracks.

Boundary History: This was a factory complex of substantial but undetermined size.

Current Use of Property: Part of the site is being used for a fire hall, and another part for a commercial complex.

Historical Description: CCM was founded on Temperance Street in downtown Toronto in the amalgamation of three older companies. The amalgamation took place in 1899, and the headquarters and first factory were at the downtown location. In 1905-07, a factory was established in the Junction area, and in 1916, the company moved into a new factory on Lawrence Avenue. It became very successful and employed over 400 people. CCM products were shipped to over 400 countries.

Relative Importance: The CCM Company has been important to a large part of the modern city, employing many people, contributing to the local and regional economy, and putting Canada before the world.

Planning Implications: With three major locations, it is difficult to recommend any one over the others for plaquing. However, the difficulties in researching industries in general points to a great need for the development of a proper archives for industrial history. This should be made a priority, with notices sent out to companies, past and present, that such archives is ready to receive material. Commercial history must be a major component of such an archives. The loss to Canada of the Massey Company’s archives, and those of Gooderham and Worts, more than illustrate the grave need for an industrial/commercial archives. The Massey Company, for instance, was one of the companies that amalgamated one division in the formation of CCM, but no particulars are available. The City of Toronto Archives should receive adequate funding and a mandate to set up such a collection.

Reference Sources: Christopher Armstrong and N.V. Nelles, The Revenge of the Methodist Bicycle Company (1977); Cruikshank and Nason, History of Weston.

Acknowledgements: Weston Historical Society; Maps Project.