In May 1948, big industry came to Port Union when Johns-Manville began their manufacturing operations on the old Dixon farm at Lawrence Avenue and Port Union Road, occupying a total area of 145 acres (shown in pink). The first building was used for the manufacture of brake linings and rock wool (both using asbestos).West of the original building, a second building was constructed in 1950 for the manufacture of asbestos-cement pipe, and a third building was constructed in the mid-1950s for the manufacture of asbestos-cement siding.
In 1962, J-M began making block insulation and continued to use asbestos in the product until 1973.
Siding manufacture ended in the early 1970s and asbestos-cement pipe manufacture ended in 1980.
The manufacture of brake linings ended in the late 1950s, and the rock wool operation shut down in 1971.
The second and third buildings were demolished in the 1980s and the western (and major) part of the property was sold in 1990, eventually becoming the 'Brookfield' site.
After the first re-development plans for this site were presented, the CCRA and WRCA forced a hearing before the Environmental Assessment Board in 1983. As a result of this hearing, a full-scale site investigation was ordered.
During the rehabilitiation phase, the contractor was required to over-excavate the waste deposit areas across approximately 95% of the total rehabilitation area until virgin soil was reached, thus ensuring no asbestos waste material would remain. Approximately 350,000 cubic metres of asbestos related waste was excavated and and consolidated into a permanent landfill in the south-west corner of the site.
This rehabilitation was conducted with an independent consultant (responsible to, and hired by the Ministry of the Environment) on site at all times, to review and approve the work in progress. The rehabilitation began in October, 1986 and the final site inspection was made in October, 1988.
In April, 1989 the MOE granted approval under Section 45 of the Environmental Protection Act for "the subject lands to be used for the full range of urban uses which may be approved by the City of Scarborough". This site is presently being developed by Brookfield Homes Limited, and purchasers are to be advised of the prior use of the site.
In the 1990s, the manufacturing facility - the east/original building - was sold to Manson (an unrelated company) who used the factory for the manufacture of plastic piping until the mid-1990s.
Material above was obtained from the reports by the consulting engineers, R.V. Anderson and Proctor and Redfern.
For aerial images of the J-M site in 1949 and the Brookfield sub-division in 1999 (approx. 50 kb total) - click here
