News
August 29, 2012 – 100 Years Siemens in Canada
The first Siemens Canada office was located at the corner of St. Francois Xavier and St. Jacques in Old Montreal, 1912.
The story of Siemens in Canada began on May 8, 1867, when the first real link was established by Sir William Siemens (1823−1883), Werner von Siemens’ younger brother. William, a pioneer in his own right, sent a contractual letter outlining a business agreement, indicating he was seriously committed to establishing commercial connections between the British firm Siemens Brothers and Canada. That letter was sent to the manager of the Acadia Iron Mines in Londonderry, Nova Scotia (also known as Londonderry Iron Company of Nova Scotia), not far from the Bay of Fundy. The town name was popularized to Acadia Mines, before being officially renamed Siemens Town by the Nova Scotia government in 1877. Eventually the town name reverted to Londonderry in 1903. In 1908, the iron works closed for good; fire subsequently destroyed the town in 1920.
There was substantial activity by Siemens in Canada before 1912. In 1874−75 the Siemens cable ship Faraday laid one of the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cables linking the old world with the new. By 1910 a provincial charter had been granted to Siemens in Toronto, Ontario. By 1911, not only was there a Toronto office, but another office in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Since then, Siemens Canada has experienced tremendous growth, as has the country, which today enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world. Siemens and Canada have grown together; both exhibit the strength of diversity. Canada’s population is one of the most diverse in the world. Siemens Canada’s employee population reflects this diversity in its 4,600-strong workforce.
During the last century, Siemens Canada has been a pioneer in some of the most important and most iconic projects in Canada’s history, undertakings like the mighty Louis S. St-Laurent icebreaker and the spectacular success of Expo 67 – the most successful World’s Fair of the 20th century – that have captured the imagination of Canadians and the world. Other projects, such as cutting-edge medical imaging technology and power generation equipment across the country, are making crucial contributions to the lives of Canadians every day.
Siemens Canada has employed some of Canada’s brightest talents—including William B. Waite, the first Canadian-born CEO of Siemens in Canada—and it has become a proud member of communities across the country. It has also listened to the needs of Canadians and developed innovative products for the Canadian market. From medical solutions such as the Canadian-designed POLYSTAR digital workstation and the world-famous IPOD chair, to the mammoth bucket wheel excavators that work in the harsh environment of the oil sands, to working on some of Canada’s largest power generating stations, Siemens has provided solutions to uniquely Canadian challenges.
If you are interested in finding out more about the history of Siemens in Canada, to mark its 100th anniversary, Siemens Canada has brought out a commemorative publication which shows how closely the country and the company are interlinked.
David Menary