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- Orono Weekly Times Iron in the Blood by Helen Bajorek MacDonald and Helen Lewis Schmid For over a hundred years, a little foundry in Bowmanville has been casting iron into items noteworthy for their functionality, and for their every-day ordinariness: piano parts, stove parts, farm implements, implements, household items such as irons and decorative ornaments, ornaments, recreational components components such as oar lock sockets, parts for industrial industrial application, and much more. The Bowmanville Foundry Company has efficiently and unassumingly contributed to the economy and culture culture of a community, community, and of Canada.Yet, 0rono Man "Harry" Linton despite its signifi- heads Foundry in 1902 cance, most local residents are oblivious to its presence. Do you know where the Bowmanville Foundry is? At the turn of the 20th Century, the Town of Bowmanville suffered a great need for a foundry. On June 20, 1901, a Notice of proposed by-law (No. 634) was published in the Bowmanville News. The Council of the Town of Bowmanville proposed that certain incentives be employed to attract to the town foundry owner Christian Rehder, then of Thorold, Ontario. Orono foundryman, George Harris "Harry" Linton, was brought into the scheme by Town fathers who seemed to think that the established reputation reputation of a highly regarded local man would ensure success success of the operations. The Town purchased land and erected buildings suitable suitable for a foundry. It then leased the land and buildings to the Bowmanville Foundry Company, Limited. The Town also assisted the company company with a loan for the purpose purpose of establishing the foundry as well as provided a generous long-term repayment repayment schedule and tax deferment. deferment. In April 1902 the Bowmanville Foundry Company, Company, Limited, began operations. operations. Within its first year, thirty men were employed in the traditional man's world of dangerous, dirty, heavy work. Many were the first of several generations of local men who would, as did Rehder men, follow their fathers and grandfathers into foundry work. For example, there were Woollier men, Cowlc and Potter men and women, Yco, Glanville, pingle, Mutton, and Smith's. Some worked at the foundry thirty, forty, and in some instances, over fifty years! The foundry has had direct links with other local business such as Goodyear, as well as industry in neighbouring neighbouring Oshawa where two significant foundries served the McLaughlin Carriage Works that eventually became General Motors. Both of the Oshawa foundries--Malleable Iron and Fittings--closed operations operations during the recession of the late 70s-80s, yet the little foundry in Bowmanville continued continued to flourish. flourish. The story of the Bowmanville Foundry, of its founder, Christian Rehder, and of subsequent subsequent Rehder generations, is a story about a family of immigrants, immigrants, about a man's talents and his vision and hard work to build a business, and about his showing by example, to his family and to his community, community, leadership, citizenship, and character. The foundry developed very early a reputation reputation as specialists in the small castings field. Indeed, it would be the family's reputation, reputation, determination, and innovative and pioneering spirit that would sustain the foundry over a hundred years in times of ever- increasing challenge and change. The Canadian Statesman wrote in 1947: "Few industries industries of the character of the Bowmanville Foundry Company Company can produce a record of continuity of employee service... service... The entire record adds up to the fact that it is a community-built industry...." industry...." In 1960, fire destroyed everything--including over two thousand moulds--but a few castings and some of the contents of the company safe. With the help of its employees, the company rebuilt and by 1972 it was one of only five foundries in Canada producing custom malleable iron products. Now the only malleable foundry left in Canada, 1 he Bowmanville Foundry man- factures about fifteen different different grades of iron. Various factors and setbacks setbacks had a gradual ill effect on family commitment to the business, and after almost ninety years in operations, the Rehder family confronted confronted the difficult question of whether or not to remain in the foundry business. With no heir apparent from among their own progeny, progeny, the four Rehder family shareholders, Tom, Ned, Barbara and Bob, sold the foundry to Michael Patrick, an electrical engineer with a Masters degree in business administration, and David Boothman, an -electronics and electrical engineer. Both were newcomers to the foundry business. To celebrate the foundry's foundry's long history in the area, a book titled Iron in the Blood. The Bowmanville Foundry: One Hundred Years of Innovation will be available in the coming weeks. The Bowmanville Foundry will welcome the public to a celebratory celebratory Open House in the New Year. Pre-orders of the book can be arranged by contacting contacting The Bowmanville Foundry, 905-623-3313 or Wednesday. December 1,2004 info@bowmanvillefoundry.co m, or Helen Schmid at 905- 983-5837. TRADITIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC with Johnny Burke at THE LOFT 1? firaham Crt. Newcastle ON L1B_jJ7 • 90.5-987Ocu3 Wendell Ferguson - January 9th, 20Cb Terry Sumsion - January 23rd, 2005 Harold MacIntyre - February 6th, 2005 'Reservations Required THE ORONO TOWN HALL BO presents Saturday, December 4th 9am -1 l am PACKAGE INCLUDES: Pancake Breakfast Gift for Each Child from Santa ADULTS: $5 • CHILDREN: $3 "P&ofo with & (famel IRidet rfuatfaÊe Sported by: Clarington Toyota, Orono DBIA, Municipality of Clarington, Hamilton's Insurance