The Abandoned McCormicks Candy Factory London Ontario is one of those abandoned locations that is a must-see for anyone new to Urban Exploration. It’s a widely known location among photographers and curious alike. The story of McCormicks begins in 1849.
In 1849 Thomas McCormick emigrated to Canada from Ireland. In 1858, he began manufacturing confectionary in a factory located on Clarence Street in London. McCormick was in direct competition with another confectioner, Daniel Simmons Perrin who had established his own business just four years earlier.
History of Abandoned Candy Factory
In1879 the company was incorporated under the name of McCormick Manufacturing Company and at that time had a location on Clarence St. Thomas McCormick Jr. visited over one hundred biscuit and candy factories to observe their architecture. With the assistance of the London architectural firm Watt & Blackwell, they created what was considered one of the most sanitary and fireproof factories in Canada. With 68% of the exterior walls being windows it was described as a “sunshine palace” The new location had more than 100 acres of farm land.
In 1906 Thomas passed away leaving his sons to run the company. In 1912 it was decided that they needed a bigger and more efficient facility. In 1914, Thomas P. McCormick, son of the company(a)s founder Thomas McCormick, moved the London business from downtown to the Dundas location. McCormick had spent many years researching the latest manufacturing technology At the time of its opening, it was the most modern and fireproof biscuit factory in Canada.
The McCormick’s factory could produce 135,000 pounds of candy and 100,000 pounds of biscuits on a daily basis. As many as 1,000 workers were employed inside the factory. In 1926, McCormick’s Manufacturing was purchased by its competitor, D.S. Perrin and Company Ltd., and became the Canada Biscuit Company. The Canada Biscuit Company was sold during the 1940s to George Weston Ltd. In 1990 the company was acquired by Culinar Foods of Montreal, and in 1997 by Beta Brands Inc.
The factory closed in September 2008 at which time it was still owned by Beta Brands Inc and the location has sat abandoned ever since being owned by Sierra Construction with plans to redevelop the site. While demolition has already began the remaining main building will eventually be redeveloped into mixed residential and commercial space.
The plant is broken up into 5 floors above ground, and one below. The first floor was usually accessible from one of the garage door entrances. The floor contained sugar silos, administrative offices and conveyor belt ovens.The second floor was used to make crackers, which is cheerfully announced in the stairwell. The second floor also contains the factory laboratory which still has the original lab desks, however the contents have been removed. There are still a few odd things lying around here.
The third floor was for the production of chocolate and also contained the employee cafeteria. When the large machines were removed the pipes carrying the corn starch were ruptured and covered everything in it.The fourth floor was for the production of candy. The fifth floor was used for producing jelly beans and also contained the executive offices and boardroom.
