Draft:Vancouver Iron and Engineering Works
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The Vancouver Iron and Engineering Works company was a company that operated in Vancouver, British Columbia on the south shore of False Creek in the mid-20th century. It was one of the biggest machinery shops west of Toronto and north of San Francisco[1][2] and because of this it transformed the area of False Creek into an industrial hotspot which lasted right up until the end of the 20th century.[3][4]
History
[edit | edit source]The area of False Creek (where the Vancouver Iron works and Engineering company was based) was a very industrial area throughout the late 18th century and 19th century hence it was the ideal place for this style of company to be located.[5] The first appearance of the Vancouver Iron and Engineering works seems to be around the 1920s. Prior to this, a business named Vancouver Machinery Depot Ltd was located in the West 6th Avenue area of Vancouver. However, after the 1920s we see evidence in directories of the Vancouver Iron and Engineering company being the business occupying the site.[6] In 1966, the company was bought out by a financer and was under the control of James United Steel Limited. In 1967, the Calgary plant initiated a new expansion plan and in turn this spurred on major growth which enabled the Vancouver Iron Works and Engineering company more plant space and equipment to serve western Canada's industries.[7] The expansion program in 1967 which was completed in 1968 also gave the company broader market reach which reduced market dependance. Up to this point, the company was dependent on British Columbia's primary natural resource industries which were logging and mining which helped the company grow into the shipbuilding industry. However, the company realized the dangers of reliance of single industries so the company expanded targeting the oil and gas industries.
Towards the end of the 20th century, there was rapid deindustrialization of the False Creek waterway where the Vancouver Iron and Engineering works was located. This was the main reason for the company to close its doors towards the end of the 20th century due to the fact that False Creek transitioned into a residential area.[8]
Operations
[edit | edit source]The main operations of the Vancouver Iron and Engineering Works company was in the heavy steel industry with a main focus on the production of steel, manufacturing of products and providing engineering services. Furthermore, during the First and Second World War, large scale ship building took place and a great contribution of this came from the Vancouver Iron and Engineering works who contributed with the production of steam engines, boilers and steam generators. It is not surprising that the Vancouver Iron works and Engineering company was heavily involved in ship building, obviously because of their location, but also because George Alexander Walkem owned them and also owned West Coast Shipbuilders and was a prominent figure in shipbuilding at this time.[9] Post Second World War, the Vancouver Iron and Engineering Works continued to utilize the primary natural resources that British Columbia had to offer producing logging equipment and a variety of steel products. Following the company's buy-out, the operations of the company were able to further grow into many other sections.
References
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- ^ ChangingCity. "Vancouver Iron and Engineering Works - West 6th Avenue". Changing Vancouver, 2013.
- ^ Vancouver Historical Society. "The Story of Vancouver". Chp.4
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- ^ Vancouver Heritage Foundation."Canron Building".
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- ChangingCity. "Vancouver Iron and Engineering Works - West 6th Avenue". Changing Vancouver, 2013.https://changingvancouver.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/vancouver-iron-and-engineering-works-west-6th-avenue/
- False Creek Watershed Society. "False Creek's Watershed: Then and Now". 2007. http://www.falsecreekwatershed.org/uploads/2/0/5/0/20500086/falsecreek_swatershedfinal.pdf
- MacArthur, J.F., Pryde, J.M. "Annual Report for the Year 1967." James United Steel Limited, 1968. https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/images/hrcorpreports/pdfs/6/638224.pdf
- Mathews, S. 1943 "Vancouver Iron Works Limited" (Photograph) 1966. https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/vancouver-iron-works-limited-24
- Vancouver Heritage Foundation."Canron Building". https://placesthatmatter.ca/location/canron-building/
- Vancouver Historical Society. "The Story of Vancouver". Chp.4 https://story.vancouver-historical-society.ca/introduction/iv-moving-goods-and-people-and-the-development-of-neighbourhoods/