Canadian General Electric
Encyclopedia
Canadian General Electric (CGE, also known as GE Canada) was a Canadian
manufacturer of various electrical
products. The company was a forerunner of General Electric Canada, now known as GE Canada. It was the Canadian counterpart of the American company General Electric
.
Canadian General Electric Co. Limited (CGE) was incorporated in Canada in 1892 as a merger of Edison Electric Light Company of Canada (of Hamilton, Ontario
) and Thomson-Houston
Electric Light Company of Canada (of Montreal
), both incorporated in Canada in 1882. The Canadian merger occurred in the same year as the merger of parent companies Edison General Electric (of Schenectady, New York
) and Thomson-Houston Company (of Lynn, Massachusetts
) into General Electric, which continues to the present day as a major international conglomerate.
CGE had about 500 employees at inception and was already producing generators, transformers, motors, wire and cable, and lighting products.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
manufacturer of various electrical
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
products. The company was a forerunner of General Electric Canada, now known as GE Canada. It was the Canadian counterpart of the American company General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
.
Canadian General Electric Co. Limited (CGE) was incorporated in Canada in 1892 as a merger of Edison Electric Light Company of Canada (of Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
) and Thomson-Houston
Electric Light Company of Canada (of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
), both incorporated in Canada in 1882. The Canadian merger occurred in the same year as the merger of parent companies Edison General Electric (of Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
) and Thomson-Houston Company (of Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
) into General Electric, which continues to the present day as a major international conglomerate.
CGE had about 500 employees at inception and was already producing generators, transformers, motors, wire and cable, and lighting products.
Historic milestones
CGE had a long manufacturing history in Canada:- 1892 - Founded
- 1899 - Produces the Canadian General Electric electric carElectric carAn electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
, for model year 1899 only, in Peterborough, OntarioPeterborough, OntarioPeterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
. The car is essentially a Woods ElectricWoods Motor VehicleWoods Motor Vehicle Company was a manufacturer of electric automobiles in Chicago, Illinois between 1899 and 1916. In 1915 they produced the Dual Power Woods Motor Vehicle Company was a manufacturer of electric automobiles in Chicago, Illinois between 1899 and 1916. In 1915 they produced the Dual...
. - 1911 - Acquires Sunbeam Lamp Company of TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. - 1912 - Montreal lamp plant established.
- 1921 - Vacuum tube operations begin in Toronto.
- 1922 - Canadian Edison Appliance Company established.
- 1945 - Small appliances plant opens in Barrie, OntarioBarrie, OntarioBarrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
. - 1946 - Plastics plant opens in Cobourg, OntarioCobourg, OntarioCobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
. - 1946 - Lighting plant opens in Oakville, OntarioOakville, OntarioOakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
. - 1947 - Electric meter plant opens in Quebec CityQuebec CityQuebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. - 1975 - Household appliance division spun off and merged with GSW Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of household appliances with brands such as McClary, Easy, and Moffat, in a new company named Camco. Camco is a publicly traded company and is a part of the General Electric family of companies.
- 1990s - Electric lamp operations in the Oakville, OntarioOakville, OntarioOakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
factory slowly begins to get transferred to Warren, OH and Winchester, VA (now closed) lamp plants. Most fluorescent tube operations are ceased by the late 1990s. - 2009 - Most incandescent lamp production lines in the Oakville, ON plant are stopped. Production is transferred to Winchester, VA.
- 2010 - Oakville, ON lamp plant closes. Remaining incandescent lamp operations are transferred to Mexico and China. A few products are outsourced from Sylvania's US plants. T8 fluorescent tube operations goes to Bucyrus, OH.