A Timeline of Innovation in Durham Region Here in Durham Region, We’Re Not Just Innovating; We’Re Innovating to Solve Big Problems
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A Timeline of Innovation in Durham Region Here in Durham Region, we’re not just innovating; we’re innovating to solve big problems. We’re focused on solving some of the world’s biggest challenges, and building a robust innovation ecosystem that translates research and development assets into jobs and investment. The world needs products, services and business models that will create value in new ways, while reducing social and environmental impacts. This change won’t be driven by a few heroic entrepreneurs or innovative geniuses, nor will it be driven solely by investors. It will take all of these players, and more, working together. Durham Region’s foundation of solving important challenges began with early settlement, as immigrants founded local businesses that would grow to be some of the largest and most successful. Since 1864, when Robert McLaughlin started his journey to transform human mobility, businesses in Durham have committed to improve lives—not just for local residents—but also for the world. Today, by supporting innovators in everything from artificial intelligence to electric and autonomous mobility, and from clean tech to agri-tech, life sciences, health, and creative industries, our business ecosystem is evolving so that Durham’s innovators continue to lead global solutions. We’re confident our innovation community will continue to change the world. A Timeline of Innovation in Durham Region 3 1864 McLaughlin Carriage Co. Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin settles in Darlington Township (now known as Clarington), and launches a business manufacturing horse-drawn sleighs and carriages. By the turn of the century, his Oshawa facility is one of the largest carriage factories in the world. Image courtesy of Oshawa Public Libraries, Local History Collection. A Timeline of Innovation in Durham Region 4 1866 1884 1892 Newcastle Foundry and The Holstein Association of Pedlar Metal Roofing Machine Manufactory Canada Company Daniel Massey establishes the The Holstein Association of George Pedlar expands his Newcastle Foundry and Machine Canada is founded locally. Members father’s hardware and metal Manufactory, and in 1866, Hart include legendary operations stamping business to become the Massey appears at the International such as Roybrook in Whitby and Pedlar Metal Roofing Company, Exposition in Paris, France, where Hannover Hill in Scugog; farms based in Oshawa. The operation he wins first place honours for the that have made a lasting impact on became the largest sheet metal Massey Self Binder—which cut a dairy farming around the globe. factory in the British Empire, section of oats in 55 minutes. The with warehouses in Montreal, company went on to become the Winnipeg and Calgary, Sydney, largest manufacturer of agricultural Australia, Auckland, New Zealand implements in the British Empire, and Cape Town, South Africa. now known as Massey Ferguson. Image courtesy of Oshawa Public Libraries, Local History Collection. Image courtesy of the Newcastle Village and District Historical Society Archives. A Timeline of Innovation in Durham Region 5 1892 1894 1904 Schofield Woolen Mills The Oshawa Railway Canada Dry Pale Ginger Ale Schofield Woolen Mills is established Construction begins on the Oshawa Robert McLaughlin’s eldest son, John in Oshawa. Nationally recognized Railway to connect the Grand Trunk J. McLaughlin of Enniskillen, creates for exceptional quality, Schofield line at Oshawa’s northern end Canada Dry Pale Ginger Ale. The innovative woolen products were with the port. By 1911, the railway company quickly expanded to become found in nearly every town and city offered passenger, express and worldwide by the 1930s. Canada Dry in Canada for the next 50 years. freight service to every part of is still popular today and produced in Image courtesy of The Thomas Bouckley town, and was a primary feature countries around the globe. Collection, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, in promoting the businesses and Oshawa. “natural advantages and resources of Oshawa” to prospective investors. Image courtesy of Oshawa Public Libraries, Local History Collection. A Timeline of Innovation in Durham Region 6 1907 1918 1940s McLaughlin Motor Car General Motors of Canada The Rockex Company Sam and George McLaughlin Professor and electrical engineer, Robert McLaughlin & Sons rebrands become the first executives of Benjamin deForest “Pat” Bayly, as McLaughlin Motor Car Company, General Motors of Canada, after invents an offline one-time tape eventually selling the carriage the merging of their company cipher machine called the Rockex business to make way for automobile McLaughlin Motor Car Company at the secret military intelligence production at their Oshawa plant. with Chevrolet and General base Camp X, located between Image courtesy of The Thomas Bouckley Motors. General Motors of Whitby and Oshawa. The Rockex Collection, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Canada built their first offices on was a solution to slower existing Oshawa. Richmond street in Oshawa. equipment, and handled transatlantic Image courtesy of The Thomas Bouckley communications quickly and Collection, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, securely during World War II. Oshawa. A Timeline of Innovation in Durham Region 7 1941 1960 1967 Defence Industries Limited The Oshawa Harbour Durham College is Founded Commission is Formed The largest shell-filling plant in the Durham College has become British Commonwealth, Defence The port is the only seaway- known as a leading post-secondary Industries Limited, is established depth harbour on Lake Ontario destination and was named one of in Ajax to provide supplies for between Toronto and Montreal. On Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges the Allies in World War II. More average, Oshawa’s port handles for six straight years, from 2012 to than 2,300 women from across $23 million dollars worth of cargo 2018. Today, Durham College enrolls Canada worked in the munition annually, from salt and steel more than 13,000 full-time students, factory. The contributions of products to asphalt and grain. including 1,900 international women at this Ajax facility later Image courtesy of The Thomas Bouckley students from 75 countries. inspired the award-winning Collection, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, television series “Bomb Girls”. Oshawa. Image courtesy of The Town of Ajax – Ajax Archives. A Timeline of Innovation in Durham Region 8 1971 1974 1978 Pickering Nuclear Generating The Region of Durham Pre-hospital Cardiac Care Station Services in Oshawa The Region of Durham is established. The Nuclear Generating Station It is one of several new regional Oshawa becomes the first city in in Pickering begins operations, governments in the Province of Ontario to provide pre-hospital starting the facility’s run as Ontario, and includes the cities of cardiac care services. The program one of the largest and safest Oshawa and Pickering, towns of allowed paramedics to obtain nuclear stations in the world. Ajax and Whitby, the municipality of faster diagnoses in the field, and Image courtesy of Keith Beaty/Toronto Star Clarington, and townships of Brock, prepared emergency staff at the via Getty Images. Scugog and Uxbridge. hospital to respond—ultimately saving more patients and reducing the impacts of heart attacks. A Timeline of Innovation in Durham Region 9 1980s 1986 1988 Northern Dancer CANDU Reactor Colpitts Design Inc. Edward Plunket Taylor, a The CANDU reactor proven at Colpitts Design Inc. is founded businessman, philanthropist and Ontario Power Generation’s Pickering in Uxbridge. The company race horse breeder, produces and Darlington Nuclear Generating specializes in rapid prototype Northern Dancer at Windfields Farm Stations is listed as one of Canada’s design and manufacturing; building in Oshawa. By the 1980s, Northern top ten engineering achievements products for the medical, garden, Dancer was the first Canadian bred of the previous 100 years by a jury of automotive and film industries. horse to win the Kentucky Derby, Canadian engineering professionals. Today Colpitts Design works the first animal to be inducted into Image courtesy of Frank Lennon/Toronto Star with Ontario Tech University’s the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, via Getty Images. automotive program and creates and was the most sought-after sire in props for Hollywood blockbusters. the world. Today, nearly every horse Credits include work for films such competing in the Kentucky Derby is as X-Men, Robocop, Batman vs a descendant of Northern Dancer. Superman and Suicide Squad. Image courtesy of Tony Leonard, Canadian Museum of History. A Timeline of Innovation in Durham Region 10 1988 1998 1998 Fly Away Home Omachron Group of Lakeridge Health Companies William “Bill” Lishman, an award- Lakeridge Health is formed when winning sculptor, filmmaker, Wayne Conrad, a scientist based in Durham-area hospitals are merged inventor, naturalist and public rural Clarington, founds Omachron to create a leading health system speaker, pioneers ultra-light Group of Companies. Today, Conrad focused on improving the overall aviation in Canada, becoming the holds close to 600 patents, including wellness of one of fastest growing first person to lead the flight of a space-age water treatment areas of Ontario. Today, Lakeridge geese with an aircraft, eventually system that NASA adopted for the Health has five hospitals, four conducting the first aircraft-led International Space Station. Emergency Departments, and more migration of birds from his home Image courtesy of NASA/Roscosmo. than twenty community healthcare