James Whalen (Canadian businessman)
Encyclopedia
James Whalen was a Canadian businessman and entrepreneur based in Port Arthur, Ontario
, now part of Thunder Bay
, Ontario
, with interests in the forest industries, shipbuilding, dredging, and towing. From a modest beginning as a timber contractor in the 1890s, he built an impressive business empire in various Great Lakes marine businesses. With the help of his brothers he was less successful in entering the competitive British Columbia pulp and paper business.
He was born in Collingwood, Ontario
, April 29, 1869, to Joseph Whalen and Alice Broad, and died in Duluth, Minnesota
June 4, 1929. His marriage to Laurel Conmee in 1896 allied his fortunes to her father, the formidable Ontario politician and contractor James Conmee
.
He constructed the eight storey Whalen building in Port Arthur in 1913.
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
, now part of Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, with interests in the forest industries, shipbuilding, dredging, and towing. From a modest beginning as a timber contractor in the 1890s, he built an impressive business empire in various Great Lakes marine businesses. With the help of his brothers he was less successful in entering the competitive British Columbia pulp and paper business.
He was born in Collingwood, Ontario
Collingwood, Ontario
Collingwood is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay.-History:...
, April 29, 1869, to Joseph Whalen and Alice Broad, and died in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
June 4, 1929. His marriage to Laurel Conmee in 1896 allied his fortunes to her father, the formidable Ontario politician and contractor James Conmee
James Conmee
James Conmee was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Algoma West from 1885 to 1902 and Port Arthur and Rainy River from 1902 to 1904 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and Thunder Bay and Rainy River in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1911 as a Liberal...
.
He constructed the eight storey Whalen building in Port Arthur in 1913.
Companies associated with James Whalen
- Western Dry Dock and Shipbuilding CompanyWestern Dry Dock and Shipbuilding CompanyThe Western Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company operated at Port Arthur, Ontario, now part of Thunder Bay, on Lake Superior from its organization in October 1909 until its reorganization in November 1916 as the Port Arthur Shipbuilding Company. It was probably a subsidiary of the Cleveland-based...
- Port Arthur Shipbuilding Company, PASCO
- Great Lakes Dredging Company
- Canadian Towing and Wrecking Company
- Dominion Towing and Salvage Company
- Whalen Pulp and Paper Company (British Columbia)
- Canada West Coast Navigation Company
- Canada Pebble Company