Canada Cycle & Motor

Photo by the City of Toronto - Posted November, 2011

Photo and transcription by contributor Wayne Adam - Posted November, 2011

Attached to this westbound St. Clair Avenue West transit shelter at Old Weston Road is this City of Toronto plaque. Here's what it says:

Plaque coordinates: 43.673434 -79.463462

During the late 1800s, the bicycle went through a major technological advancement. The diamond-shaped frame permitted gear shift and the rear tire, rather than the front tire, to propel the bicycle, which made for a safer ride. Neighbourhood cycling clubs were established and the bicycle repair shop became a fixture in many communities. Canada Cycle & Motor Company (CCM) was an amalgamation of HA Lozier, Goold Bicycle, Welland Vale Manufacturing, Gendron Manufacturing and Massey-Harris in 1899 to fend off an 'invasion' from American Bicycle Company. It became one of Canada's pioneer manufacturing enterprises. CCM's first factory was located in the HA Lozier plant on Weston Road, just north of St. Clair Avenue.
During the early 1900s, CCM struggled as it attempted to control the Canadian market. Around World War I, the bicycle became a choice of personal transportation, as rations for fuel were restricted. CCM's 'motor' phase launched when it acquired Canadian Motors Ltd. and produced the first Canadian-made automobile, the Russell, in 1904. During this period, CCM also began to produce skates, and hockey equipment. By the end of World War I, with growth and a diverse range of products sold around the world, CCM relocated to a larger plant in Weston.

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