Businesses

From the end of the 19th century, manufacturing has played an important role in Aylmer’s economy. The first canning factory was established in 1879. In 1897, everything from doors, to cider, to musical organs were being produced in the town.

The Aylmer Canning Factory was established first in 1879 by a joint stock company of the businessmen of the town. According to early records, the company did not succeed very well and in 1883 was bought by T.M. Nairn, D. Marshall and G.L. Walker. Mr. Walker sold his interests to Nairn and Marshall in 1886, after which the industry grew in a few years to become the largest of its kind in Canada. The original plant of Fourth Avenue was known as Dominion Canners up to 1913. An immense factory was built on Myrtle Street in 1913. Canadian Canners rolled out its last cans in 1959 and the plant was used for storage purposes only until 1962 when the doors were locked for good. The building was demolished in 1969.

The Aylmer Condensed Milk factory was established in Aylmer by David Marshall, M.P. and J.J. Nairn (owners of the Dominion Canners) sometime between 1905 and 1910.

The plant was sold to the Carnation Company in 1916. In 1916, 75 people were employed. The employment figures reached a peak of 150 employees during the Second World War.

Title: Carnation Milk Plant, Aylmer
Date: ca. 1920
Part Of: Scott Studio fonds.

Box 528, Envelope 95072. Copy Print #948

The Aylmer Canning Factory was established first in 1879 by a joint stock company of the businessmen of the town. According to early records, the company did not succeed very well and in 1883 was bought by T.M. Nairn, D. Marshall and G.L. Walker. Mr. Walker sold his interests to Nairn and Marshall in 1886, after which the industry grew in a few years to become the largest of its kind in Canada. The original plant of Fourth Avenue was known as Dominion Canners up to 1913. An immense factory was built on Myrtle Street in 1913. Canadian Canners rolled out its last cans in 1959 and the plant was used for storage purposes only until 1962 when the doors were locked for good. The building was demolished in 1969.

Title: Lewis Pierce & Son Horse Livery, Aylmer
Date: 1913
Part Of: Elgin County Vertical File Collection
Elgin County Vertical File Collection - Aylmer Express Industrial and Farming Number 1913 file
ECVF B115 F1 P13 1

It was announced on May 10, 1945 that Imperial Tobacco would build a tobacco processing plant in Aylmer. It was to be the largest of its kind in the British Empire. Aylmer was chosen as the ideal location for Imperial’s new plant because its location was central to the growing area of flue-cured tobacco, and offered access to highway and rail transportation. Construction of the buildings began in 1945 on a 36-acre parcel of land just north of Aylmer. The official opening occurred on October 2, 1946. The plant was used for the receiving, grading, re-drying, packing and storing of leaf tobacco. It was the first facility in the world capable of providing all the components and final blends of cut tobacco in one location.

In 2007, the Imperial Leaf Tobacco Company in Aylmer was closed.

Additional images of the Imperial Leaf Tobacco Company can be found on the following page of the Tobacco in Elgin County virtual exhibit:

http://www.elgincounty.ca/ElginCounty/CulturalServices/Archives/tobacco/imperial.html

Title: Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers' Marketing Board - Busy Day For Buyers
Date: 1957
Part Of: St. Thomas Times-Journal fonds - Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers' Marketing Board file
Caption: "Down To Business- Tobacco buyers representing seven companies got down to the real business of buying tobacco. Tuesday afternoon as actual sale by auction got under way in the Tillsonburg auction exchange. Buyers are seen above seated at desks watching operation of the Dutch clock as growers, visitors stood at the rear to watch the operation.
C8 Sh2 B2 F4 6a

The Aylmer Dairy was located at 420 Talbot Street East. Construction on the factory was completed in 1969.