St. Lawrence Starch

St. Lawrence Starch. The factory and site. , St. Lawrence Starch purchased the factory site in 1889. Archie Hutchison bought 10 acres from the Cotton Estate that was located at the eastern end of the Village of Port Credit. John Gray supervised the construction of the original factory., The complex consisted of the factory building and the adjoining boiler room with its two iron stacks. A third stack and boiler were added in 1892 along with a feed plant. St. Lawrence Starch expanded the steam plant and added the original glucose plant in 1905., In 1907, the plant steam engines were upgraded and electricity was introduced to the factory building. Also in 1907, a carpenters' shop was added. St. Lawrence Starch produced its own electricity and drew fresh water directly from Lake Ontario, independent from the surrounding village., In 1911, a new power plant and coal ash storage tank were built. At the same time, a new factory building was started. However, with the economic uncertainty created by the outbreak of World War I, a decision was made to halt construction of the partially completed building. During the war, local recruits of the Canadian Expeditionary Force camped in the nearby woodlot and bathed in the tubs in the new, but unused factory., On July 4, 1918, the old wooden factory building was completely destroyed by fire. This could have been a disaster for the company, but the new factory building was brought into partial production by the end of the year. The company added a new table house and feed house in 1920., By 1925, other improvements to the site included constructing a new water line, upgrading the plant machinery and changing the boilers in the power house. The St. Lawrence Starch Company office building was added in 1932., The staff house was added in 1958 for the workers to use as a lunchroom and recreation facility. Environmental concerns led to the upgrading of the feed drying and process water treatment complex in 1971. An ethanol facility was added in 1976, producing alcohol for the wine and spirits industry. Manufacturing ceased in March 1990. The factory buildings were demolished in 1993 to make way for the current residential and parkland use.