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Westinghouse Canada
Siemens Canada Ltd.

Westinghouse Canada fonds. --1897-2003. -- 10.5 m of textual records and other material.

Westinghouse began operations in Hamilton, Ont. in February 1897 as a branch plant of the American company. It was incorporated as a Canadian company in 1903. It established plants across Canada, and its products have included air brakes, household appliances, and steam and gas turbines. In 1995, the parent company, Westinghouse Electric, bought CBS broadcasting company, changed its name to CBS Corporation and focussed its attention on the media. In 1998 the Power Generation Unit, including the plants on Sanford Avenue and Beach Road in Hamilton, were sold to Siemens AG of Germany. They were renamed Siemens Westinghouse and subsequently became divisions of Siemens Canada Ltd.

The fonds consists of nine accruals. The first accrual (02-1990) measures 3.2 m, and is arranged into three series consisting of: photographs, printed materials, and other materials. The second accrual (24-1991) measures 45 cm, and consists almost entirely of photographs. The third accrual (26-1991) measures 80 cm, and consists of some early payroll, account and minute books, photograph albums and published serials. The fourth accrual (30-1991) consists of some photographs and pamphlets and has been placed inside the second box of the previous accrual. The fifth (21-1993) and sixth (47-1995) accruals measure 6.14 m, and have been arranged together into eleven series consisting of: annual reports; Canada's Tomorrow conference; historical materials; publications; turbine and generator plant; photographs, posters, slides, filmstrips, audio cassettes, sound discs; instruction and operation manuals; catalogues; job description manuals and wage rate books; news clippings; order number ledgers. The Canada's Tomorrow conference was sponsored by Westinghouse Canada under the chairmanship of G.P. Gilmour of McMaster University. The seventh accrual (18-2002) measures 3.4 m, and has been arranged into eight series consisting of: general, presidential and management committee letters and organizational charts; annual and company reports; company publications; conference papers and presentations; product catalogues, price lists, specifications and plant information; public relations and corporate history; photographs and slides and 90th Anniversary exhibit. The eighth accrual (27-2004) measures 60 cm and consists of documents concerning the relocation of the corporate office to Jackson Square in 1981 as well as some video cassettes on executive pricing, newsletters from the Purchasing Department, and budgeting documents. The ninth accrual (38-2004) measures 52 cm and contains photographs, some historical materials, the book 100 Years in Canada, 1903-2003, and other printed materials.

Title based on the contents of the fonds.
The fonds has been placed on deposit by Westinghouse; the company retains ownership. As of May 2007, material is on loan from the first, third, and seventh accruals. The boxes contain labels indicating what material has been removed. Requests to Westinghouse to return the material have not been successful. The first accrual was acquired in January 1990; the second in June 1991; the third in September 1991; the fourth in October 1991; the fifth in December 1993; the sixth in August 1995; the seventh in April 2002; the eighth in August 2004; the ninth in November 2004.
There are no access restrictions.
Further accruals are expected.

Contact: archives@mcmaster.ca
Last Reviewed: May 31, 2007
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