Blackburn Bros., Mica Manufacturing, 200 Crichton Street
October 29, 2008
The lot remained vacant for a good many years until a condominium building was built there. For a good many years, however, you would find chunks of mica lying about, between lumps of dog poo and broken bottles.
While New Edinburgh is now a quiet residential neighbourhood, it was once a thriving industrial and business area, as well as the home of those working in the area. Rocklciffe Village, to the north, which is now the home of mansions and embassies was once the home of those who were in service to the rich who lived in Sandy Hill and other areas of the city, as well as government and clerical workers.
Along the Rideau River which flows just two blocks away, from Crichton Street were heavy industry, chemical manufacturers, sawmills and other water-powered mills (located both at the Rideau Falls, where the Rideau plunges into the Ottawa River, but further upstream where Cummings Bridge crosses the Rideau at Montreal Road), rail-yards for both train and streetcars, foundries, amongst others.
202 Crichton Street (or Creighton, according to the directory listing, below)
200 Crichton Street
It has been used since prehistoric times (as a pigment for cave paintings) and in windows before the it was discovered how to create glass in sheets. At the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, contained considerable amounts of locally mined mica in layers up to 12 inches thick. It continues to be used by the Hindus during Holi, in the pigments thrown during the festivities.
I just happened on this site and I am glad I did. I’ll explore the other entries too.
My grandmother worked at the Mica Co. office in the early 1900s, according to the family history research I have been doing. She (Maimie Carruthers) married my grandfather Bert Aitkens in 1912. He became a prominent merchant with a chain of five tobacconist shops in the downtown core. They lived on Flora St. and later moved into the Blackburn Apartments on Somerset. My dad Phillip ran the Lord Elgin shop (opened in1941), and inherited the business when Bert died in 1961.
Hope this isn’t too far off-topic.
Thanks! That’s really fascinating
It’s always good the hear personal stories about these places. All too many are lost already!
My father owned that property from 1960 to1975,there were two warehouses in behind a house,he used the buildings for storage . He owned Shulman Fruit in the market.there was a lot of mica in the buildings and the yards
I went to Crichton Public School from 1960-67. I heard rumours that they had a gorilla guarding the factory so stay away. But as kid we had to explore and we did lol no gorilla.
I was in Grade 6 at Crichton from 65-66 and 66-67 (Mr. Moyer decided, for no reason other than to be a jerk, that I should repeat). I then went on to York Street Public school.
Anneke
We were most likely in the same class. Seeing how small our school was. My maiden name was Debbie Connah. I went on to J. H. Putman.
I know, Debbie. We are Facebook friends!
I also went to Crichton at that time. and had a few run ins with Mr. Moyer. Ross
Fredrick Hamilton Blackburn was the man who raised me and gave me his last name. He was one of the Blackburn Bros.We lived at 70 Rideau Terrace not far from Crichton ST. If i remember correctly the Mica Mine was across the street from Crichton St. public school were i went as a child, I remember having Mica around the house. Also Fred had a Hunting camp on I think on Blue Sea lake in Wakefield Que. They also had the Blackburn Bld.on Sparks St. Neat !!!.
Great site! Was hoping to find some information on the Rockcliffe Base and the redevelopment – to help with research. There are some cool photos floating around of the abandoned school before it burnt down. Will be interesting to see what they develop there!
I remember the old Chelsea mine – my Uncle, Walter Cross operated a small mica factory in Hull in the 1940’s which I visited as a child. If I remember well, they sliced it for a company that made toasters – every toaster used mica to reflect the heat from the coils.
This is very interesting about the Blackburn bros. my grandmother’s uncle died in a mining accident in 1936 at the Blackburn Bros mica mine in their Chelsea mine. Three men died in that explosion and it’s all been forgotten by time. I managed to find the original news article about the accident.
Thanks for that information. So sorry to hear of the tragic loss of life. It is something I’s not heard of. I will have to look at my book on the history of the Wakefield area and see if it is mentioned. I was born in Wakefield.
My mother was a geography teacher and used to take her students to the Chelsea mine, or what was left of it.
LOVE THIS ! And I miss the nostalgic feel these photos inevitably brings.