Canada Cement Company
Canada Cement Company was a Canadian Portland cement producer formed in 1909 through the consolidation of ten cement companies and absorbed into Lafarge Canada in 1988.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Canada Cement Company was a Canadian Portland cement manufacturing enterprise that operated from 1909 until 1988. It was established during a period of consolidation in the Canadian cement industry by Max Aitken, later known as Lord Beaverbrook, through the merger of ten existing Portland cement companies. The combination was one of three major corporate groupings associated with Beaverbrook, alongside Stelco and Canadian Car and Foundry. The original consolidation brought together operations located in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. The constituent businesses included International Portland Cement Company of Hull, Quebec; Vulcan Portland Cement Company of Montreal; Lehigh Portland Cement Company of Belleville, Ontario; Canadian Portland Cement Company operations at Marlbank and Port Colborne; Lakefield Portland Cement Company operations in Montreal and Lakefield; Owen Sound Portland Cement Company of Shallow Lake; Alberta Portland Cement Company of Calgary; and Belleville Portland Cement Company. Together, these assets gave Canada Cement a broad domestic manufacturing footprint and made it a significant participant in Canada's Portland cement market. In February 1911, the company expanded by purchasing the Exshaw cement plant during the liquidation of Western Canada Cement and Coal Company. The Exshaw facility had been built in 1906 by Sir Sandford Fleming and strengthened Canada Cement's position in western Canadian cement production. The company's business was industrial rather than consumer-facing: its core activity was the manufacture and sale of Portland cement for construction and infrastructure uses. A major ownership and strategic change occurred in 1970. Canada Cement acquired all shares of Lafarge Canada Limited of Vancouver. Before the transaction, Lafarge held a 21 percent interest in Canada Cement, while Lafarge Canada was 60 percent owned by its French parent company. The merger increased Canada Cement's authorized share capital from three million to four million shares, with five Lafarge Canada shares exchanged for two Canada Cement shares. Following the transaction, Lafarge held 30 percent of Canada Cement. On May 1, 1970, the company changed its name to Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd. The Lafarge affiliation eventually became a full corporate transition. Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd. continued to exist under that name until 1988, when it was renamed Lafarge Canada Inc. The historical Canada Cement corporate identity therefore ended as part of the integration of the business into Lafarge's Canadian operations. No current standalone Canada Cement brand or operating company is identified in the available reference material.
History
Canada Cement Company emerged in 1909 from a large-scale consolidation of Canadian Portland cement producers. The combination was organized by Max Aitken, the industrialist and later newspaper proprietor known as Lord Beaverbrook. Ten existing companies were brought together: International Portland Cement Company of Hull, Quebec; Vulcan Portland Cement Company of Montreal; Lehigh Portland Cement Company of Belleville, Ontario; Canadian Portland Cement Company operations at Marlbank and Port Colborne; Lakefield Portland Cement Company operations in Montreal and Lakefield; Owen Sound Portland Cement Company of Shallow Lake; Alberta Portland Cement Company of Calgary; and Belleville Portland Cement Company. The merger created a geographically dispersed Canadian cement enterprise at a time when industrial consolidation was becoming an important method of assembling manufacturing capacity. The company expanded its asset base in February 1911 by purchasing the Exshaw cement plant during the liquidation of Western Canada Cement and Coal Company. The Exshaw plant had been constructed in 1906 by Sir Sandford Fleming. Its acquisition gave Canada Cement an important western operation and complemented the company's facilities in Quebec and Ontario. Throughout this period, the company focused on Portland cement, an essential material for building construction, transportation works and other infrastructure. Unlike a consumer brand, Canada Cement primarily operated as a heavy-industry manufacturer serving commercial and industrial customers. Canada Cement was one of three prominent corporate combinations associated with Beaverbrook, together with Stelco and Canadian Car and Foundry. Its leadership changed repeatedly over the decades. Charles Hazlitt Cahan served as the first president, followed by William Cameron Edwards, Frank Percy Jones, Arthur Charles Tagge, John David Johnson, Frederick Binns Kilbourn, Joseph Melville Breen, Vesey Courthope Hamilton, James Taylor Kennedy, John Douglas Redfern and Robert Waugh Murdoch. Several of these executives also held chairmanships, reflecting the close relationship between operating and board leadership in the company's later history. The decisive strategic transition came in 1970. Canada Cement acquired all shares of Lafarge Canada Limited, a Vancouver-based company connected to the French Lafarge group. Before the transaction, Lafarge owned 21 percent of Canada Cement, while Lafarge Canada was 60 percent owned by its French parent. The merger increased Canada Cement's authorized shares from three million to four million. The exchange ratio provided five Lafarge Canada shares for two Canada Cement shares, and Lafarge emerged with a 30 percent interest in the combined company. On May 1, 1970, the company changed its name to Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd. The new name marked the beginning of the company's integration into the Lafarge organization. Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd. remained in existence for the rest of the 1970s and 1980s, but the original Canada Cement identity gradually gave way to the Lafarge name. In 1988, the company was renamed Lafarge Canada Inc., ending the standalone corporate history of Canada Cement Company. The available reference material does not identify a separate successor brand operating under the Canada Cement name today.
- 1988
Transition to Lafarge Canada
[1]Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd. was renamed Lafarge Canada Inc., completing the end of the Canada Cement corporate identity.
- 1970
Lafarge Canada transaction and renaming
[1]Canada Cement acquired Lafarge Canada Limited and changed its corporate name to Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd. on May 1.
- 1911
Acquisition of the Exshaw plant
[1]Canada Cement purchased the Exshaw cement plant during the liquidation of Western Canada Cement and Coal Company.
- 1909
Formation through consolidation
[1]Ten existing Canadian Portland cement companies were merged to create Canada Cement Company under the direction of Max Aitken.
Products and positioning
A large Canadian industrial cement producer created through early twentieth-century consolidation and later integrated into Lafarge's Canadian business.
Construction materials
Portland cement
Portland cement was the company's principal product and the basis of its manufacturing operations. Canada Cement supplied cement from a network of plants assembled through merger and later expansion. The material served construction and infrastructure customers rather than ordinary retail consumers, making the company primarily an industrial supplier.
Brand decisions
1988
Corporate renaming to Lafarge Canada Inc.StrategyBackground
Following years of association with the Lafarge group, the Canada Cement Lafarge name no longer represented the company's ultimate corporate identity.
Action taken
The company was renamed Lafarge Canada Inc.
Aftermath
The Canada Cement corporate identity ceased to exist as a standalone company name.
1970
Merger with Lafarge CanadaM&ABackground
Canada Cement and Lafarge Canada were connected through overlapping ownership, with Lafarge already holding an interest in Canada Cement.
Action taken
Canada Cement acquired all shares of Lafarge Canada Limited, using a share exchange and increasing its authorized shares from three million to four million.
Aftermath
Lafarge held 30 percent of Canada Cement after the transaction, and the company adopted the name Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd.
Authorized shares. 3 million → 4 million (1970 transaction)
1911
Purchase of the Exshaw cement plantM&ABackground
Western Canada Cement and Coal Company entered liquidation, making its Exshaw plant available for acquisition.
Action taken
Canada Cement purchased the Exshaw facility in February 1911.
Aftermath
The acquisition broadened the company's plant network and strengthened its western Canadian presence.
1909
Consolidation of ten cement companiesM&ABackground
The Canadian Portland cement sector consisted of multiple separate producers operating in several provinces.
Action taken
Max Aitken combined ten companies into Canada Cement Company.
Aftermath
The transaction created a major Canadian cement producer with operations across Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.
Recent events
- 1988
Canada Cement Lafarge becomes Lafarge Canada Inc.[1]
Other
The company ended its historical Canada Cement identity when Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd. was renamed Lafarge Canada Inc.
- 1970
Canada Cement combines with Lafarge Canada[1]
M&A
Canada Cement acquired all shares of Lafarge Canada Limited and subsequently adopted the name Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd.
- 1911
Canada Cement purchases the Exshaw plant[1]
M&A · Other
The company acquired the Exshaw cement plant during the liquidation of Western Canada Cement and Coal Company.
- 1909
Canada Cement Company is formed through a ten-company merger[1]
M&A · Other
Max Aitken consolidated ten Canadian Portland cement companies into the new Canada Cement Company.
Sources1 sources
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