McGill Library
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Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Canada Cement Lafarge Fonds
General material designation
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
CA MUA MG 4109
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
15,000 photographs and negatives (8.5 m of photographs)
1 16mm film
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
(established 1909)
Administrative history
The Canada Cement Company was incorporated in 1909 by Max Aitken (Lord Beaverbrook), who merged eleven cement companies in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. For most of the period documented by this photographic collection, it was the largest cement company in Canada headquartered in Montreal. Using the Portland system of cement production, the Company expanded quickly until the Depression. Recovering in the late 1940s, the Company enlarged and modernized its Montreal East Plant, Plant No. 1 located in Pointe-aux-Trembles. By 1954 this plant with its heavily-bedded argillaceous limestone quarry was producing 30 percent of Canadian cement. The Company maintained other plants in Hull, Quebec; Port Colborne and Belleville, Ontario; Fort Whyte, Manitoba; and Exshaw, Alberta, as well as other various operations. In the later years, the Company became Canada Cement Lafarge and is now part of an international cement enterprise.
Custodial history
The fonds was donated by Jane Hainsworth to the McGill University Archives, 1 October 1987, after reorganization of the Company's North American operations. The film "Concrete's Finest 50 Years" was donated by Paul Masson, 6 September 2006.
Scope and content
The fonds reflects the Company’s involvement in the construction of buildings utilizing cement across Canada and comprises original photographs and some negatives of buildings. The photographs document construction over a wide range of time, geography and type of structure. The fonds reflects technical evolution of the use of cement construction, as well as the architectural evolution in Montreal and many of its public buildings. The major part of the photographs are of buildings completed by Canada Cement, and only a small number of the prints show the early factories and the equipment. Although the collection documents the company’s projects across Canada, about one third of the collection relates to Quebec and Montreal. Included in the fonds is one 16mm film "Concrete's Finest 50 Years".
This collection consists of 2 main subjects, arranged in 3 series: the first subject, structural projects involving Canada Cement and Canada Cement Lafarge, is divided into a Type of Building Series (subdivided by region) and a Regional Series (subdivided by type of building). The second subject, Canada Cement's own factories and its Montreal head office, is contained in a smaller Plant Series.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
1987-0074 donated by Jane Hainsworth on October 1, 1987
2006-0263 donated by Paul Masson, September 6 2006
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Box Listing available.
Associated materials
Accruals
General note
15,000 photographs and negatives (8.5 m of photographs)
Alternative identifier(s)
Accession nos.
1987-0074; 2006-0263
Wikidata Q identifier
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q62527941