HOME | DD

Description
The sign posted on the property.

The Locomotive Repair Shop

The Grand Trunk railways shops in Stratford, later part of The Canadian National Railways, were for most of their existence the largest employer in Stratford, for years employing over forty percent of the workers in the city. The period from 1870 to 1964 coincided with the hey-day of the steam locomotive.
The Grand Trunk Railway and its competitor, The Buffalo and Lake Huron Railways, both arrived in Stratford in the fall of 1856, ushering in a new era of development for the new village. The well financed GTR soon took over its competitor here, as well as other lines.
The growth meant that by 1870 the GTR had to build new shop facilities for its locomotives here in southwestern Ontario.
Th e company sent out one of its superintendents, T.H. Roberts, to investigate various sites for the location of a locomotive repair shop. Stratford was one of these locations, perfectly located at the cross roads of the main trunk lines from Quebec to Chicago and the East-west line from Buffalo to Goderich on Lake Huron.
The original shops were built and opened in 1871, causing about 300 families to move into the village overnight. With a shortage of housing to accommodate so many newcomers, many had to live in tents on railway land, until enough houses could be built.
During the 1880s and 1890s the GTR continued to acquire other railways, including its chief rival, The Great Western Railway running from Hamilton to Detroit. The take-over led to the first major expansion of the Stratford shops in 1889, when the GWR's Hamilton shops were closed. Another major expansion followed in 1907 when the present structure was built. In each of these cases many more families settled in the city. At the same time the size of the locomotives had increased substantially, so that these expansions coincided with the need for more space to work on the engines. The final addition to the shops in the lat 1940s (Along the St. David St. side) was to accommodate the even larger locomotives.
However the writing was soon on the wall as new diesel engines were taking over.
Between 1958 and 1964, the CNR (which had absorbed the GTR in 1923) phased out the locomotive shops and more of the building (and some of the staff) were transferred to boiler makers Cooper-Bessemer Ltd., or to shops elsewhere.
The shops employed many skilled tradesmen who first belonged to various British unions. Seemingly unhappy with the distant British links, the machinists initiated a shift to North American unions. The first Canadian local of The International Association of Machinists was organized in the Stratford shops in 1890. The other trades followed. The negotiating strength meant that employees had better wages and fringe benefits than other workers, and the shops were seen as the best place to work.
The CNR building has been vacant since since 1989.

A fire destroyed the wing at the west end in 2002.

By L Riedstra Stratford Perth Archives

Following is a chronological history of the former CNR repair yards, more commonly known in recent years as the Cooper site.

1870

Construction began on the Grand Trunk Railway Motive Power Shops. It was completed in 1871. The main building was 270 feet long, 90 feet wide and 14 feet to the eaves. A smaller building of 150 feet in length and 42 feet wide was also added,

Stratford was picked to be the new shop's location because of its position in the centre of southwestern Ontario.

1888

The Grand Trunk took over the Great Western Railway of Canada. In 1889 machinery and staff were relocated in Stratford increasing the manpower greatly.

1907

The shops undergo a huge expansion.

1909

New shops opened by the president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, Charles Melville Hays, who later died in the sinking of the Titanic.

1923

Property taken over by the Canadian National Railroad Co., which had purchased the Grand Trunk company. The yards continue as a premier employer in Stratford with 1,200-1,500 workers during its peak.

1956

The CNR issues a statement noting that as steam power is replaced by diesel electric power, the railway will no longer require repair facilities in Stratford and says it is prepared to consider offers from interested industries for its fully equipped shops and buildings on the 19-acre property. The offer indicates 850 workers are employed at the yards.

1959

The U.S.-based Cooper-Bessemer Corp. presents a proposal to lease the former CNR facility for its manufacturing purposes, noting that the CNR plant with its cranes and machine tools are suitable for handling the heavy diesel and gas turbine engines it manufactures. Good prospects in the oil and gas industry see the company increase its workforce to 350 in 1976. A turnaround in the fortunes of Cooper Energy Services (the company's later name) closes the plant doors and throws about 125 employees out of work.

1991

The City of Stratford purchases the vacant Cooper site for $1.1 million from its Toronto owner, Landawn Shopping Centres Ltd., in a move mayor Dave Hunt describes as a coup for the municipality.

1992-1993

A plan for a motion picture production studio is put forth by a group which includes Stratford Festival Founder Tom Patterson.

Another project, a theme park labelled The Time Machine by a consortium which includes filmmaker Alan Gough, is proposed. There is also a third proposal which includes a hotel and transportation museum suggested by a Cooper development committee.

1995

Plans are unveiled in October for a Ramada Plaza Hotel which would amount to a $22-million redevelopment to the site. A deal seems imminent by December, but the third of three deadlines for closing a deal with Bristol Realty falls through when a cheque to the city does not materialize in January.

1996

The city signs a deal in February with 1101644 Ontario Ltd. for the sale of the property for $1 million. It's later announced that a $30-million Clarion Resort, Stratford Resort and Spa is proposed for the site. In August, police report a former president of the numbered company, Ray Jacobs, has been charged with filing an illegal mortgage against the property. The charge was later withdrawn.

1996

In October Lawrence Ryan, another principal in the numbered company, outlines revised plans. They include three office/condominium towers rising 25 floors above the existing industrial facilities as well as a multi-screen movie theatre, ice rinks, water park, swimming pool, bowling lanes, heath club and other facilities.

1999

City police say they have contacted a representative of the development company and informed him of the need to secure the site following the setting of a fire in a building on the site on July 2. A second fire is reported within two weeks.

2001

The multimillion-dollar redevelopment plan for the site is apparently still on track and a site plan application is submitted to the city. The proposed towers are now down to seven storeys. Mr. Ryan says he has financial backing for the project and that there is widespread public support.

The city's building and development department responds to the application in March, noting that certain height restrictions have to be met for the project to conform to the city's building height bylaw and that a number of studies, including for stormwater management and traffic, have to be submitted. Certain city-owned lands are included in the site plan and that too must be resolved.

In July Mr. Ryan confirms he has filed an appeal with the Ontario Municipal Board in an attempt to secure approval of his site plan. The OMB in February listens to issues presented by the property owner and city and gives both sides more time to resolve certain issues. The OMB did not give a definitive answer and the dispute was left to be resolved in court.

2002

Lawrence Ryan and his company file a lawsuit against the city in August which includes $16 million for lost business. The action is a counterclaim following the city's own legal action against the company apparently having to do with ownership of a disputed section of the site.

2003

A fire breaks out in the west building at the site on the evening of Oct. 11. The spectacular blaze leaves an empty shell of a building which the city says must be demolished for safety reasons. Police say the fire was arson, but no one is ever charged.

2003

In October Lawrence Ryan confronts Nick Giannakopoulos during a municipal election all-candidates debate. Ryan left his seat and moved to the podium after Giannakopoulos suggested the site should be developed. The all-candidates debate is suspended and restarts after a recess.

2004

It's a year of controversy. Among the issues were Mr. Ryan's decision to offer tours of the Cooper site, the opening of a country market, the drilling of a well on the property and arguments over environmental reports.

2005

The back-and-forth with the city continues. Among the issues that year were Mr. Ryan's decision to hold a carnival on the site. Mr. Ryan was also convicted of fire-related charges stemming from the 2003 fire. Convictions include failing to obey an inspection order to remove combustible materials and failure to secure the building.

2006

Mr. Ryan lays out the new plans for his property in a letter to the editor in The Beacon Herald. He noted that his "grand vision for the property is under way" with the sale of condominium units within the Grand Trunk Tower, which includes 71 extended-stay hotel rooms and 170 residences.

2006

Mr. Ryan runs for city council. He places 20th out of 23 candidates, well back of the 10th-place spot needed to earn a spot on city council.

2007

Mr. Ryan is jailed for 45 days on drunk driving charges. He appeals.

2008

September sees yet another fire at the Cooper site. This time it is minor and the only damages are to a pop-up tent trailer.

2008

In December, in a unanimous decision, city council instructs legal counsellors to begin a process aimed at expropriation of the site from owner Lawrence Ryan and/or the mortgage holder.

2008

Later that month, University of Waterloo president David Johnston says the university's preferred location in Stratford is downtown. The only site that could accommodate the university is the former Cooper site.

2009

Mr. Ryan offers to sell the property to the city for $21.6 million. In early February, he revised that, saying he'd take $10 million up front and let the Ontario Municipal Board decide the remainder. He later revised that to $5 million with the remainder to be determined by the OMB.

2009

In June, the city's name appears on the title of the Cooper site property. Now that the title vests in the city's name, the city has a right to future possession of the property. The city has 90 days under the Expropriation Act to make Mr. Ryan an offer.

2009

Sept. 11, the city submits an undisclosed offer to Mr. Ryan for the Cooper site property.

2009

Sept. 14, at city council it is revealed that the appraised value of the property is $500,000 "as is."

Description
The sign posted on the property.

The Locomotive Repair Shop

The Grand Trunk railways shops in Stratford, later part of The Canadian National Railways, were for most of their existence the largest employer in Stratford, for years employing over forty percent of the workers in the city. The period from 1870 to 1964 coincided with the hey-day of the steam locomotive.
The Grand Trunk Railway and its competitor, The Buffalo and Lake Huron Railways, both arrived in Stratford in the fall of 1856, ushering in a new era of development for the new village. The well financed GTR soon took over its competitor here, as well as other lines.
The growth meant that by 1870 the GTR had to build new shop facilities for its locomotives here in southwestern Ontario.
Th e company sent out one of its superintendents, T.H. Roberts, to investigate various sites for the location of a locomotive repair shop. Stratford was one of these locations, perfectly located at the cross roads of the main trunk lines from Quebec to Chicago and the East-west line from Buffalo to Goderich on Lake Huron.
The original shops were built and opened in 1871, causing about 300 families to move into the village overnight. With a shortage of housing to accommodate so many newcomers, many had to live in tents on railway land, until enough houses could be built.
During the 1880s and 1890s the GTR continued to acquire other railways, including its chief rival, The Great Western Railway running from Hamilton to Detroit. The take-over led to the first major expansion of the Stratford shops in 1889, when the GWR's Hamilton shops were closed. Another major expansion followed in 1907 when the present structure was built. In each of these cases many more families settled in the city. At the same time the size of the locomotives had increased substantially, so that these expansions coincided with the need for more space to work on the engines. The final addition to the shops in the lat 1940s (Along the St. David St. side) was to accommodate the even larger locomotives.
However the writing was soon on the wall as new diesel engines were taking over.
Between 1958 and 1964, the CNR (which had absorbed the GTR in 1923) phased out the locomotive shops and more of the building (and some of the staff) were transferred to boiler makers Cooper-Bessemer Ltd., or to shops elsewhere.
The shops employed many skilled tradesmen who first belonged to various British unions. Seemingly unhappy with the distant British links, the machinists initiated a shift to North American unions. The first Canadian local of The International Association of Machinists was organized in the Stratford shops in 1890. The other trades followed. The negotiating strength meant that employees had better wages and fringe benefits than other workers, and the shops were seen as the best place to work.
The CNR building has been vacant since since 1989.

A fire destroyed the wing at the west end in 2002.

By L Riedstra Stratford Perth Archives

Following is a chronological history of the former CNR repair yards, more commonly known in recent years as the Cooper site.

1870

Construction began on the Grand Trunk Railway Motive Power Shops. It was completed in 1871. The main building was 270 feet long, 90 feet wide and 14 feet to the eaves. A smaller building of 150 feet in length and 42 feet wide was also added,

Stratford was picked to be the new shop's location because of its position in the centre of southwestern Ontario.

1888

The Grand Trunk took over the Great Western Railway of Canada. In 1889 machinery and staff were relocated in Stratford increasing the manpower greatly.

1907

The shops undergo a huge expansion.

1909

New shops opened by the president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, Charles Melville Hays, who later died in the sinking of the Titanic.

1923

Property taken over by the Canadian National Railroad Co., which had purchased the Grand Trunk company. The yards continue as a premier employer in Stratford with 1,200-1,500 workers during its peak.

1956

The CNR issues a statement noting that as steam power is replaced by diesel electric power, the railway will no longer require repair facilities in Stratford and says it is prepared to consider offers from interested industries for its fully equipped shops and buildings on the 19-acre property. The offer indicates 850 workers are employed at the yards.

1959

The U.S.-based Cooper-Bessemer Corp. presents a proposal to lease the former CNR facility for its manufacturing purposes, noting that the CNR plant with its cranes and machine tools are suitable for handling the heavy diesel and gas turbine engines it manufactures. Good prospects in the oil and gas industry see the company increase its workforce to 350 in 1976. A turnaround in the fortunes of Cooper Energy Services (the company's later name) closes the plant doors and throws about 125 employees out of work.

1991

The City of Stratford purchases the vacant Cooper site for $1.1 million from its Toronto owner, Landawn Shopping Centres Ltd., in a move mayor Dave Hunt describes as a coup for the municipality.

1992-1993

A plan for a motion picture production studio is put forth by a group which includes Stratford Festival Founder Tom Patterson.

Another project, a theme park labelled The Time Machine by a consortium which includes filmmaker Alan Gough, is proposed. There is also a third proposal which includes a hotel and transportation museum suggested by a Cooper development committee.

1995

Plans are unveiled in October for a Ramada Plaza Hotel which would amount to a $22-million redevelopment to the site. A deal seems imminent by December, but the third of three deadlines for closing a deal with Bristol Realty falls through when a cheque to the city does not materialize in January.

1996

The city signs a deal in February with 1101644 Ontario Ltd. for the sale of the property for $1 million. It's later announced that a $30-million Clarion Resort, Stratford Resort and Spa is proposed for the site. In August, police report a former president of the numbered company, Ray Jacobs, has been charged with filing an illegal mortgage against the property. The charge was later withdrawn.

1996

In October Lawrence Ryan, another principal in the numbered company, outlines revised plans. They include three office/condominium towers rising 25 floors above the existing industrial facilities as well as a multi-screen movie theatre, ice rinks, water park, swimming pool, bowling lanes, heath club and other facilities.

1999

City police say they have contacted a representative of the development company and informed him of the need to secure the site following the setting of a fire in a building on the site on July 2. A second fire is reported within two weeks.

2001

The multimillion-dollar redevelopment plan for the site is apparently still on track and a site plan application is submitted to the city. The proposed towers are now down to seven storeys. Mr. Ryan says he has financial backing for the project and that there is widespread public support.

The city's building and development department responds to the application in March, noting that certain height restrictions have to be met for the project to conform to the city's building height bylaw and that a number of studies, including for stormwater management and traffic, have to be submitted. Certain city-owned lands are included in the site plan and that too must be resolved.

In July Mr. Ryan confirms he has filed an appeal with the Ontario Municipal Board in an attempt to secure approval of his site plan. The OMB in February listens to issues presented by the property owner and city and gives both sides more time to resolve certain issues. The OMB did not give a definitive answer and the dispute was left to be resolved in court.

2002

Lawrence Ryan and his company file a lawsuit against the city in August which includes $16 million for lost business. The action is a counterclaim following the city's own legal action against the company apparently having to do with ownership of a disputed section of the site.

2003

A fire breaks out in the west building at the site on the evening of Oct. 11. The spectacular blaze leaves an empty shell of a building which the city says must be demolished for safety reasons. Police say the fire was arson, but no one is ever charged.

2003

In October Lawrence Ryan confronts Nick Giannakopoulos during a municipal election all-candidates debate. Ryan left his seat and moved to the podium after Giannakopoulos suggested the site should be developed. The all-candidates debate is suspended and restarts after a recess.

2004

It's a year of controversy. Among the issues were Mr. Ryan's decision to offer tours of the Cooper site, the opening of a country market, the drilling of a well on the property and arguments over environmental reports.

2005

The back-and-forth with the city continues. Among the issues that year were Mr. Ryan's decision to hold a carnival on the site. Mr. Ryan was also convicted of fire-related charges stemming from the 2003 fire. Convictions include failing to obey an inspection order to remove combustible materials and failure to secure the building.

2006

Mr. Ryan lays out the new plans for his property in a letter to the editor in The Beacon Herald. He noted that his "grand vision for the property is under way" with the sale of condominium units within the Grand Trunk Tower, which includes 71 extended-stay hotel rooms and 170 residences.

2006

Mr. Ryan runs for city council. He places 20th out of 23 candidates, well back of the 10th-place spot needed to earn a spot on city council.

2007

Mr. Ryan is jailed for 45 days on drunk driving charges. He appeals.

2008

September sees yet another fire at the Cooper site. This time it is minor and the only damages are to a pop-up tent trailer.

2008

In December, in a unanimous decision, city council instructs legal counsellors to begin a process aimed at expropriation of the site from owner Lawrence Ryan and/or the mortgage holder.

2008

Later that month, University of Waterloo president David Johnston says the university's preferred location in Stratford is downtown. The only site that could accommodate the university is the former Cooper site.

2009

Mr. Ryan offers to sell the property to the city for $21.6 million. In early February, he revised that, saying he'd take $10 million up front and let the Ontario Municipal Board decide the remainder. He later revised that to $5 million with the remainder to be determined by the OMB.

2009

In June, the city's name appears on the title of the Cooper site property. Now that the title vests in the city's name, the city has a right to future possession of the property. The city has 90 days under the Expropriation Act to make Mr. Ryan an offer.

2009

Sept. 11, the city submits an undisclosed offer to Mr. Ryan for the Cooper site property.

2009

Sept. 14, at city council it is revealed that the appraised value of the property is $500,000 "as is."