Thorold in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

The Ontario Paper Company Ltd.

Ontario Paper Company Ltd.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 7, 2024

1. The Ontario Paper Company Ltd. Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

In 1912, the Ontario Paper Company was incorporated as a subsidiary of the Chicago Tribune newspaper under the direction of publisher Robert McCormick. A paper mill was constructed south of here on the banks of the Welland Canal. On September 5, 1913, its No.1 Paper Machine began producing newsprint for the Tribune. Without sufficient timber in southern Ontario, pulp wood was shipped here by water from Lake Superior and Quebec's North Shore. The mill, designed and managed by engineer Warren Curtis Jr., was an innovative combined pulp and paper operation that used hydro-electricity from Niagara Falls. Some early mill employees formed Local 101, International Brotherhood of Paper Makers, the first papermakers' union in Canada. In 1980, the company built a new mill at Thorold and the company was sold in 1996. The Ontario Paper Company Ltd. was committed to its employees and community, and was a technological leader. It pioneered modern operational practices, including the production of valuable chemical byproducts.

En 1912, l'Ontario Paper Company est constituée en société en tant que filiale du journal Chicago Tribune sous l'égide de l'éditeur Robert McCormick. Une usine de papier est construite au sud, sur les rives du canal Welland. Le 5 septembre 1913, la machine à papier n°1 commence à produire du papier journal pour le Tribune. Comme il n'y a pas assez de bois d'œuvre dans le Sud de l'Ontario, le bois à pâte y est expédié par voie navigable en provenance du nord du lac Supérieur et de la Côte-Nord du Québec. Conçue et gérée par l'ingénieur Warren Curtis Jr., cette usine novatrice de pâtes et papiers utilise l'hydroélectricité des chutes Niagara. Certains de ses premiers employés forment la section locale 101 de l'International Brotherhood of Paper Makers, le premier syndicat de papetiers au Canada. En 1980, la société construit une nouvelle usine à Thorold. En 1996, la société est vendue. L'Ontario Paper Company Ltd. est une société qui a les intérêts de ses employés et de la communauté à cœur. C'est également un chef de file dans le domaine technologique. Elle innove en adoptant des méthodes opérationnelles modernes, notamment la fabrication de sous-produits chimiques valorisables.

Erected by Ontario

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Heritage Foundation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce • Labor Unions • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1912.

Location. 43° 7.303′ N, 79° 11.712′ W. Marker is in Thorold, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is at the intersection of Chapel Street South and Service Road West, on the right when traveling north on Chapel Street South. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 55 Chapel St S, Thorold ON L2V 2C6, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe

and in Niagara Canada.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Construction of the Welland Canals / La Construction des Canaux Welland

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 7, 2024

2. The Ontario Paper Company Ltd. Marker

(within shouting distance of this marker); Stewart House c. 1860 (within shouting distance of this marker); Lynch House 1908 (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Flannery House 1859 (about 90 meters away); Carter-Holland House 1875 (about 120 meters away); Millar House c. 1876 (about 150 meters away); Kennedy-Ward House c. 1854 (about 180 meters away); Bogardus House c.1875 (about 180 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Thorold.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 7, 2024

3. The Ontario Paper Company Ltd. Marker

The Ontario Paper Company Ltd. image. Click for full size.

1918

4. The Ontario Paper Company Ltd.

Source: Thorold Museum (public domain)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 319 times since then and 74 times this year. Last updated on September 14, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 10, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.