Operation Little Birmingham Preview

Introduction

It is 1939 and the world is once again at war. Canada is called into action again, but as with all wars, the effort isn’t solely overseas. Efforts are underway right here in Gananoque to support the war. However, not everyone wants to help; there are spies and saboteurs who would hinder Gananoque’s industrial war-time production.Your task is to unravel the schemes of the those who would plot against Gananoque. You must be quick to thwart the enemy’s plans.Headquarters: Whispers from our agents tell us that some of our enemies may be trying to dress like us. Stealing our own buckles that are used in all branches of the military! Daring! Don’t let them hide in plain sight. Your first location is the old St. Lawrence Steel and Wire Company Building.

St. Lawrence Steel and Wire Company

Built in 1885, the St. Lawrence Steel & Wire Company was affectionately known as “The Corset Factory.” During WWII, over 60% of the company’s products were related to the war effort. These products included respirator accessories and battle dress buckles. The company was the only business in Canada to manufacture these buckles which were used by all branches of the military.

Cenotaph

Grace United Church

Grace United was constructed as a Methodist church from 1871─1873 to replace the previous wooden structure built on the same site in 1863. It underwent significant renovation and enlargements including the addition of the tower and bell in 1874, and the nave in 1896. The Church suffered a major fire on 31 Aug 1979 and was rebuilt over a period of three years.

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

This is Gananoque’s oldest church, built in 1855 on land donated by John Macdonald. The church's original spire was made of wood and was added in 1875. The rose window was brought from Scotland and donated by Mrs. Coates.

Federal Armoury

Constructed in 1912 by the Federal Government, this building originally served as the armoury and drill hall. All of Gananoque’s soldiers mustered here prior to shipping overseas in WWI and WWII.

Parmenter & Bulloch Manufacturing Company

Parmenter & Bulloch (P&B), established in 1864, was a pillar of local industry and a major employer in Gananoque. It helped the town earn the monikers “Birmingham of Canada” and “the rivet manufacturing capital of Canada.” During World War II, P&B produced necessary goods for the war effort and earned a contract from the Department of National Defence in 1938 to produce 20 000 aerial bombs. This contract resulted in a massive influx of unemployed men looking for work, but the company discouraged out-of-town workers because they hired the men of Gananoque first. During the war, P&B also produced featherweight aluminum rivets for aircraft, especially for the 430 Canadian-made Avro Lancaster bombers, which each required over 750 000 rivets.

Link Manufacturing Company

The red brick foundation on this site was once the home of the Link Manufacturing Company. Edwin Link purchased the building in 1937 to use as a factory to construct his Link Trainer. Opened in 1938, the Gananoque Link factory proved to be a vital part of the Allied effort in WWII. Born out of his love for flying and the cost of learning to fly, Link built a device, called the Link Trainer that simulated the motions of flying and dramatically reduced the time needed to learn to fly. Due to Britain’s restrictions on buying non-Commonwealth products during the War, Edwin Link, a US citizen, opened his factory in Gananoque to produce and sell the Link Trainer to Britain. The Link Trainer taught pilots to fly using their instrumentation panels and is the great-grandfather of modern flight simulators. The Link Trainer was instrumental to the success of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) which sought to standardize training for all air crew, which resulted in the training of over 130 000 people for the war effort.

Debrief

St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church

D.F. Jones Manufacturing Company

Originally established as the St. Lawrence Works in 1852, the D.F. Jones Manufacturing Company occupied the site of what is now the Gananoque Public Library. For many years, they were one of the largest shovel manufacturers in the country, producing “a shovel for every need.” During World War I, the D.F. Jones Manufacturing Company produced 1200 general service shovels for the Canadian Army as well as 60 000 shovels for the British Army. The contract for the British Army had to be completed in two months.