British Forging Company, Toronto

During World War 1 British Forgings opened a plant on the waterfront in Toronto to remelt steel swarf from the shell manufacturing process. Above, workers in the cutting and breaking shop. At the time it was was the largest electric furnace in the world, employing 1600 employees. The company was open from March 1917 till Armistice day- less than 2 years- and much of the workforce was laid off within two weeks.  The plant was torn down during the 1920s and replaced by a tank farm of the McColl-Frontenac Oil company.

The melting furnaces.