Fonds F 127 - Barber Turbine and Foundries Ltd. fonds

Barber Turbine and Foundries Ltd., founded in 1867, manufactured water turbines in Meaford, Ontario, eventually moving some operations to Port Colborne, Ontario which operated under the name of Barber Hydraulic Turbine Ltd.

The Barber Turbine & Foundries Ltd. of Meaford, Ontario, was founded on July 1, 1867, when Charles Barber bought the Georgian Foundry. He immediately began making water turbines and produced his first, named the Canadian Turbine, in the company's founding year. This turbine won a bronze award for best water wheel at the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876. Around the turn of century, a Swedish company by the name of Boving opened a branch in Lindsay, Ontario. By 1928 it had run into financial difficulty, and in 1929 sold out patents, designs and equipment to Barber Turbines.

Charles Barber's son Tom took over the business from his father, and Charles Barber's grandson, Herbert Hall (son of Charles Barber's daughter and a Mr. Hall, a draftsman at the foundry) took over the business after Tom Barber's death. He operated the foundry until October of 1966, when he sold it, mostly to local shareholders. In February of 1967 it became a limited company, and Herbert Hall served as a consultant until his death later that year.

In 1973 the machine shop operations and the foundry operations were separated. The former was transferred to Port Colborne, Ontario, while the latter remained in Meaford operating under the name of Georgian Bay Foundry Limited (name changed September 26, 1973). This company continued to operate until 1987 when the foundry was again sold. On December 23, 1987, the foundry began operations under the name of Georgian Bay Kennedy Limited. As of December 1989, this corporation was still in business, with its head office in Owen Sound, Ontario. The machine shop went to Port Colborne in 1973. It was to operate under the name of Barber Hydraulic Turbine Ltd. This company was originally incorporated by Ontario as Eleven Fifty- Five Leslie Ltd. on January 28, 1971. The name change to Barber Hydraulic Turbine Ltd. occurred February 19, 1973. The head office for the corporation was in Toronto, Ontario. However, by January of 1980, the head office was in Port Colborne, Ontario. This corporation was dissolved on September 14, 1981.

Barber Hydraulic Turbine Inc. was incorporated on October 11, 1984. The successor to this company is called Barber Water Power Products, in operation as of December of 1989.