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Records pertaining to employee involvement in WWI
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- Textual record
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File
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Reference code
2005.001.08.07.01
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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1916-1917 (Creation)
- Creator
- Kodak Canada Inc.
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9 leaves
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Administrative history
Canadian Kodak Ltd., which became Kodak Canada Inc. in 1979, manufactured photographic films, papers and equipment for over a century in Toronto, Ontario. The company formed the Canadian branch of the successful Eastman Kodak Company, and officially opened its doors in 1900 at 41 Colborne Street under the direction of John G. Palmer. The company expanded and moved to 588 King Street West in 1908, but already plans were underway for an expansive complex to the north of the city. In 1912, Canadian Kodak purchased 25 acres of farmland near Weston Road and Eglinton Avenue to build a major manufacturing facility known as Kodak Heights. By 1925, there were over 900 employees working in seven buildings at Kodak Heights. Over the years, the company earned a reputation for having a cooperative and supportive relationship with its employees, adopting many of the successful practices in place at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York. In 1940, an Employee's Building was constructed to accommodate the activities of the flourishing Recreation Club, the Department Mangers' Club, and the Kodak Heights Camera Club. During the 1990s, the rise of digital media began to have a serious impact on manufacturing programs at Kodak facilities around the world, causing the Eastman Kodak Company to reduce its production of traditional print photography by one third globally. The company chose to focus on digital products, which did not require the extensive facilities used in the production of traditional photographic materials. On December 9, 2004, Kodak Canada Ltd. informed its employees that manufacturing operations in traditional film products would cease entirely at Kodak Heights. The company's facility faced the same fate as many of its foreign counterparts in England, Australia and France, being completely abandoned and demolished shortly after closure in 2005. Kodak Canada still maintains a sales and support office in downtown Toronto, while the manufacture of traditional photographic chemistry has returned to Rochester.
Custodial history
Scope and content
File contains documents related to Kodak staff involvment in the First World War. Includes newspaper clippings from the Toronto Star Weekly of July 17, 1916 detailing the use of building 5 of Kodak Heights as barracks for the 127th battalion, with an accompanying list detailing the names of officers pictured. Also included is a photocopied letter to then-general manager of Canadian Kodak, John G. Palmer, from an officer of the 2nd Battalion regarding the transfer of J[ames] W. Spence from England to France. Spence was an active executive member of Canadian Kodak Co., Ltd., eventually acting as chairman of the board from 1955-1957.
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Good.
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Open. Records are available for consultation without restriction.
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Associated materials
For additional materials pertaining to the use of Kodak Heights in WWI, see: 2005.001.08.03.01.15