Oshawa Community Museum and Archives

Oshawa Community
Museum and
Archives

Please Choose a Company from the List Below

Ontario Malleable Iron Co.

John Cowan, who was considered a great industrialist of his time, and his brother William established the Ontario Malleable Iron Co. (OMIC) in 1872, after managing the Cedar Dale Works from 1866-71. OMIC was located on Front St., just north of where highway 401 is today. Although it was destroyed by fire in 1894, it was rebuilt by 1898 and through its years of operation, OMIC became known all over North America. Malleable iron is the trade name of iron that can be bent or shaped by force and the OMIC business consisted of malleable castings, which included heavy castings (i.e.: agricultural implements and machine castings) and light castings of every description.	Ontario Malleable Iron Co. looking Southwest showing buildings no. 7, 2, & 20 circa 1929 A996.1.3 file 2401
OMIC looking east showing buildings no. 21, 1, 20 & 2 circa 1929 A996.1.5 file 2403	The plant itself took up 10 acres of land and had the largest molding shop in the Dominion. The company employed anywhere from 350-800 people a year and was also thoroughly equipped with the most modern equipment for production. During the time of WWI, there was a larger demand on the company’s output to meet the needs of the Ford Company. In 1929 the business was sold to the Grinnell Company of Canada. In 1939, when WWII began, production increased due to the demands that were made because of the war. This included bogie wheels for Bren gun carriers, which composed half of the total productive capacity.
Unfortunately, on March 16, 1977, the doors to the Ontario Malleable Iron Co. were closed ending a lockout that had begun on January 18, 1976. While this company is no longer in business in Oshawa, the OMIC was once described as “one of the main bulwarks of Oshawa’s Industrial structure” (Oshawa Daily Times, August 11, 1928).	OMIC buildings no. 5 & 7 from Front St. circa 1929 A996.1.7 file 2405