Sir Adam Beck - Toronto, ON
Posted by: 
jiggs11
N 43° 39.040 W 079° 23.190
17T E 630118 N 4834339
Large statue of Sir Adam Beck, Canadian politician who pioneered publicly-owned utilities based on Niagara River hydroelectric plants.
Waymark Code: WMQ337
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 12/09/2015
Views: 7
Sir Adam Beck was a Member of the Provincial Parliament from London, ON who served in the Legislature from 1902 to 1919. During that time, he was a vociferous proponent of publicly-owned utilities in the province. He convinced his party to support such a move. In 1906 he was appointed the first Chairman of the Ontario Hydroelectric Commission, the forerunner of today's Hydro One. During his mandate, he oversaw the construction of several power stations. The Queenston-Chippawa Stations were the first. Since 1950, they are now known as the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Stations.
Sir Adam Beck was knighted by King George V in 1914.
The statue shows Beck in his typical parlimentarian wear... long coat, etc. The base is art-deco style carved limestone. with a stylized hydroelectric spillway under him generating power as it cascades over the various terraces.
The inscription, identical on each side, reads:
Erected by the
Corporation of the City of Toronto
& the Toronto Hydroelectric Commission
In grateful commemoration of the public service of
Sir Adam Beck, Kt, LLD MLA whos labours have ensured that
The Citizens of his native province under cooperative municipal
Partnership shall enjoy the benefits of low-cost electrical energy
derived from
All sources to serve the industrial and domestic needs of the province of Ontario MCMXXXIV
ON TRENT EUGENIA SEVERN MUSKOKA RIDEAU NIPISSING
The front of the plinth bears the inscription
Queenston-Chippawa
The statue and the base were refurbished in 1963 and again in 2014.
URL of the statue: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
You must have visited the site in person, not online.