Name
H.L. Blachford Chemicals
 
Database Info
created by Deconstrukt on 10/28/2013 8:12 PM
last modified by Emperor Wang on 9/8/2023 5:12 PM
 
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Viewability
Publically Viewable
Publically Viewable
This location has been labeled by its creator as Public, and therefore can be viewed by anyone.
 
Overview
 
Description
A former chemicals factory, with nice brick facades and wooden flooring inside. The building is mostly empty, but there is still some photographic potential, such as the central courtyard and old fireproof doors. The staircases look like the ones at Canada Malting Co.

As of October 2013, there were squatters inside the building, living in the laboratory section of the building.

9.7.2023 - The interior was gutted, and the exterior walls were incorporated in a new hi-rise apartment tower, Le George Apartments Montreal.
 
Basic Information
Type: Building
Status: Repurposed
Accessibility: Easy - rent an apartment!
Recommendation: forget it - it's an active location
 
Hazards
  • asbestos
  • unsafe flooring
  • water
  • squatters
 
Security Measures
  • locked gates
  • wooden boarding
  • squatters (as of Oct. 2013)
 
Required Equipment
  • flashlight
  • beer & cigarettes to befriend the squatters!
 
Physical Information
Address
989 Rue Lucien-L'Allier
Montreal, Quebec
Canada
Owner: Le George Apartments Montreal
 
Interesting Features
Nice wooden flooring, brick walls, cute and heavy fire doors. The laboratories are used by squatters, be careful and show respect if you stumble upon them. From the roof there is a nice view on the "milk bottle".
 
Historical Dates
Built: 1937
Closed: 2011
 
Recommended Equipment
 
History
(Info from H L Blachford's official website)

In 1921 in Montreal, 25-year-old Henry Lloyd Blachford founded a sales agency for chemicals used in the rubber, paint and ink industries, including pigments, dyestuffs, carbon blacks for rubber and drying rolls. In 1936 H.L. Blachford began manufacturing aluminum and zinc stearates, making it the first company in Canada to manufacture metallic soaps. The original manufacturing facilities were located in the St. James Street area of Montreal. In 1937 operations were moved to a building on Lucien-L'Allier.

During the war years, most raw materials were rationed unless the finished product was valuable to the war effort. Following the end of hostilities, Blachford secured important license agreements with Quaker Chemicals Corp. and Atlas Minerals & Chemicals for chemical resistant grouts, mortars and membranes. We also forged several chemical distribution agreements with firms in the U.S. and the UK. Blachford also began manufacturing rubber and paper chemicals, as well as bronze powders used for labels and book bindings. Blachford established a Toronto sales office early in the decade in order to better service steel mill customers requiring rolling oils and other such products.

Manufacturing facilities were established in Toronto in 1957 when Blachford entered into a license agreement with Standard Industrial Compounds Corp. in Frankfort Illinois, to make powdered wire drawing lubricants. For a few years, Blachford was also involved in the production of monosodium glutamate (MSG), but this was subsequently dropped as a product line. In 1960, Blachford became active in the United States under the name H.L. Blachford Inc., where we began manufacturing and marketing noise control materials.

In 1965, we built a plant and office in Troy, Michigan, as well as established plants in Corona, California and West Chicago, Illinois. In 1966 Henry's son John joined the company as a chemist and soon took on the role of R&D manager.

Our license agreement for wire drawing lubricants was terminated after Standard Industrial Chemicals Corp. was purchased by Pennwalt. However, Blachford was permitted to continue manufacturing these formulations at the Toronto plant. Blachford entered into the production of heat stabilizers for PVC under a license agreement with Barlocher GmbH.

In 1974, a large new plant with offices and a laboratory was constructed in Mississauga. To this day most of our products used in the production and forming of steel sheet are made at this plant, including lubricants, corrosion inhibitors and hydraulic oils. In 1978 John Blachford became President of all Blachford businesses.

Although the Barlocher agreement was terminated in 1982, Blachford was free to continue to manufacture heat stabilizers for PVC. In 1984 portions of the Montreal production were moved to our newly expanded Mississauga facility. In 1987, Henry Lloyd Blachford died within a few weeks following his last day in the office. In 1989 H.L. Blachford Inc. was sold to German interests who subsequently sold the business to Masland Industries in the U.S. where we became Blachford Corporation. Blachford Corporation's offices and plants are in Frankfort, Illinois where we manufacture a wide range of lubricants used by wire manufacturers.

In 1991, Blachford Corporation entered a license agreement with German firm DOG mbH&Co KG for process aids for rubber. Blachford Inc. was created in March of 1995 when Masland sold the West Chicago plant, equipment and other assets used to make products for the non-passenger car market to Blachford.

With the termination of our license agreement with Atlas Minerals and Chemicals in 1996, we ceased the manufacture and sale of construction materials. Blachford purchased the rubber anti-tack business of Namico Inc and the operation was moved from Philadelphia to Montreal and Mississauga. We also entered a license agreement with Zeller and Gmallin for lubricants for drawing copper wire and several other product lines.

In 2001 Blachford's rights to the steel companies was removed from the Quaker Chemicals license agreement. A manufacturing agreement was made whereby Blachford continues to manufacture products for those companies. In 2002, Blachford RP Corporation, a producer of floor-covering systems designed for comfort and noise reduction was founded. The new manufacturing plant was built in Kings Mountain, NC. The Blachford Acoustics Laboratory - the first in North America that could test "Class 8" trucks - was completed in 2003 next to Blachford Inc.'s plant in West Chicago. This facility brings advanced testing capabilities to our acoustical and rubber companies, and features a large hemi-anechoic room suitable for large vehicles such as heavy trucks and buses, a dynamometer, and a reverberation room. It is a unique resource available only to passenger car OEMs customers to help them determine and achieve their sound quality goals. The Zeller & Gmelin and DOG agreements were terminated in 2006. However, Blachford was allowed to continue manufacturing both product lines in North America. In 2008 Blachford purchased the JemPak Ltd. metallic soap business and moved production to the Mississauga plant.
 
Future Plans
Will probably be part of the "Cité du Commerce Électronique" expansion. This place would make great lofts or studios.

2017-02-22 EDIT: The building is currently undergoing some serious demolition. Might have to do with a 42-storey high-rise tower to be built soon: http://ici.radio-c...n-lallier-montreal

9.7.2023 - It is currently operating as (or soon to open as) Le George Apartments Montreal. It will likely continue to operate as such for the unforeseen future.
 
Photo Galleries

 
Web Links
Apartment info: https://legeorge.ca/

Blachford official website: http://www.blachford.ca/index.php

Photos of the place when it was still active (full HDR and everything):
http://kevindenham...rd-montreal-plant/
 
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Validation
This location's validation is current. It was last validated by Emperor Wang on 9/8/2023 5:13 PM.
 
Latest Changes
  • on Sep 8 23 at 17:13, Emperor Wang validated this location
  • on Sep 8 23 at 17:12, Emperor Wang changed the following: History
  • on Sep 8 23 at 17:06, Emperor Wang changed the following: Description
  • on Sep 8 23 at 17:00, Emperor Wang validated this location
  • on Sep 8 23 at 16:59, Emperor Wang made this location public
  • on Sep 8 23 at 16:59, Emperor Wang changed the following: Hazards, Web Links
  • on Sep 8 23 at 16:52, Emperor Wang changed the following: Owner, Interesting Features, Security Measures, Required Equipment, Future Plans, Description, Web Links
  • on Sep 8 23 at 16:40, Emperor Wang changed the following: History, Description
  • on Sep 7 23 at 13:58, fr00tCake changed the following: Future Plans, Description
  • on Sep 7 23 at 13:55, fr00tCake changed the following: Accessibility
 
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