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Friday, June 18, 2021 9 Brooklin Town Crier How Brooklin Concrete Began By Brad McIlwain With his wheelbarrow and shovel, Robert A. McCoy broke ground on Brooklin Concrete in March of 1952 and it became one of the country's leading specialists and manufacturers of precast concrete. Robert grew up in Madoc where he worked as a cattle buyer. In 1952, he was persuaded by his friend and fellow precaster Mel Plane to start his own concrete business. During that time, Robert met his future wife Margery, who lived in Oshawa, and he was impressed by what was happening at General Motors. Seeing a need in the community to supply precast concrete forms for residential and commercial use, he moved to Brooklin and purchased land from the Grandys, with a creek that bubbled out into the Oak Ridges Moraine. Access to running water was essential for production. Needing water "If you want to make concrete, then you need water to start the reaction," says Robert's son, John. "Back in those days, it (concrete) was mixed with 40% water for workability. When it dried, it left little voids, and when it rained, that allowed the water to use the capillaries." A 27-foot well was dug on the property, which still stands. At first, it was tough getting started. In addition to making forms for septic tanks, Robert had also cast concrete for burial vaults. In those days, burial records weren't well kept. One time, as John describes it, "the grave next to him opened up and somebody from way back in the day ended up in the hole with him." After that, all the vaults were converted to septic. Margery soon took over the books and the business began to boom. Brooklin Concrete expanded to making handmade patio slabs that were popular with cottagers and contractors, as well as municipal curbing and precast steps. In fact, Robert had his own design, called the Dura Step. Made with exacting factory conditions, it was a one- piece steel reinforced casting and had a unique, non-slip surface and could be made in 64 sizes. Diversity and vision set the business apart from other concrete manufacturers. Provided curbing Reflecting on all the curbing Brooklin Concrete supplied, John stated, "We had enough municipal curb, kilometre after kilometre, to fill both sides of the 401, from Toronto to Montreal." Robert began reading about the advancement of hydraulic presses and flew to England to see how they worked. He was among the first to bring them to North America and obtain a distributorship. The presses required a different approach and eventually he found a crushed limestone product that worked well for casting. He was a founding member of the National Precast Concrete Association while Brooklin Concrete was one of the original seven companies in Canada to get into the interlocking stone business. Its success was strengthened by a tight familial bond, one that extended to employees. Looking back, John recalls, "There was always our core group that stuck with us for years. It was a team," he says. Factory design At age 15, John started working summers with his dad, cleaning the factory then on a truck moving around the heavy presses. One year, his dad came up to him on the floor suggesting that he draw up a factory. Robert's plan was to build a factory with four presses north of the plant, on new land he'd purchased from the Grandys. "For the next six weeks, I was welding presses," remembers John. "That was my inauguration, making concrete plants." It's something he still does, having designed much of the machinery and products at the Uxbridge and Newmarket branches where the plant expanded its locations, with a sales yard in Haliburton. The '80s were good years, John reflects. "I had 120 guys working with me. It was a boom time." Brooklin Concrete was one of the largest employers in Brooklin and area and the main Brooklin plant covered 30,000 square feet. Community engagement Robert was active in the community and from 1963 had sponsored the Brooklin Concrete men's softball team. Boating was another of his passions as he grew up around boat racing since his twin brother used to race hydroplane boats. He invented an offshore power boating event, The Poker Run, which ran boats around Georgian Bay and Niagara on the Lake. "At each location," explains John, "you would pick a poker card. When you got back, you would pick up another card, and that was your hand." For almost 70 years, Brooklin Concrete has been a key player in providing residential clients with innovative landscapes solutions. Much more than concrete, the McCoy family and the plant's workers poured life into the community and built a legacy that will be cemented for years to come. DRPS: A Cautionary Tale Tragedy Drowning of Six-Year-Old Child A six-year-old child drowned at a large house party in Oshawa Saturday night. On Saturday, June 12, at approximately 7 p.m., members of East Division responded to a call for a large gathering at a residential home near Birchview Drive and Ormond Drive in Oshawa. After police arrived, they were advised that a six-year-old female was missing. Police started to search the property and located the female victim in the pool. One of the officers dove into the pool and retrieved the child. Officers performed CPR until Durham Paramedics Services arrived. The young female was rushed to a local hospital where she unfortunately was pronounced dead. Investigators are looking into the matter and this investigation is ongoing. DRPS continue to support the family during this horrible tragedy and encourage all families to exercise extreme care when dealing with water safety during the summer months. Anyone with new information about this investigation is asked to contact D/Cst Kollaard East Division Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-888-579-1520. ext 1614. Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or on the website at www. durhamregionalcrimestoppers. ca and tipsters are eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.