There are more than 125 years of experience behind the Walker Industries family
of companies. Through four generations of family ownership, our company has been strengthened by tradition while dedicated to progress. Company founder, John Walker, came to Canada from Scotland in the 1840’s. He trained and worked as a marble cutter, contributing his energy and skill to the building of the Niagara Peninsula. In 1875, he started his own stone cutting business in the town of Merritton. Cutting stone with chisels and sheer strength, he helped construct the Merritton Town Hall, which is now a designated heritage building.

In 1882, John Walker expanded the business into a family enterprise, bringing in his sons - William, John G. and David. The company was renamed John Walker & Sons and the legacy of Walker Industries began. In 1887, John retired and the firm acquired its first quarry, Walker Brothers Quarries, on leased land in Stamford Township.

In this central location, Walker Brothers Quarries provided limestone for armouries and town halls in Toronto, Hamilton, Quebec, Niagara Falls and as far away as New York State. Horse drawn wagons hauled stone to local building sites, and a spur line of the N.S. & T. Railway was laid to the quarry for delivery to distant locations.

A new century meant new opportunities for Walker Brothers Quarries. The company began shipping “one-man rubble” – stones weighing 50 to 70 pounds – to sulphite mills for papermaking. These stones, however, were difficult to handle and transport. David Walker, who managed the company from 1893-1929, created a solution – the company’s first steam-operated crushing plant. By 1905, Walker supplied crushed stone to numerous paper mills and, with the advent of the automobile, supplied crushed stone to construct
efficient roadways. In 1927, Walker Brothers filled its last order for cut stone, for an addition to the church the family attended. The future of the crushed stone business was solidified.

Throughout the forties and fifties the company blossomed under the leadership of David Walker’s sons, John G. and Donald Walker. The company continued to grow, became fully mechanized and acquired several new quarry sites. In 1957, the company embarked on an expansion program, which involved the purchase of 115 acres of land on top of the Niagara Escarpment, and shortly thereafter a new crushing plant was built in St. Catharines.

In 1967, John G. Walker handed over the management to his sons, Norris and John G. II – the fourth generation to operate the company.

Under the leadership of Norris and John, Walker Industries has steadily expanded and diversified. The company acquired additional aggregate operations and entered into road construction and emulsion manufacturing, thus creating a full service road building business. We became a significant participant in Ontario’s Waste Management industry creating Landfill and Waste Transfer Station operations. Our large land portfolio led to the establishment of a land development arm. Expansion in the 90’s included asphalt manufacturing, further expansion in the aggregate industry and infrastructure consulting. Georgian Aggregates & Construction was acquired to service the north-central part of Ontario. Integrated Municipal Services was started to service the public/private infrastructure markets utilizing the strong base of skills developed in the Walker Family of companies.

Over the last 125 years Walker Industries has kept pace with the changing markets, and as we step into the 21st century we will continue to combine traditional values with progressive concepts to meet new and exciting challenges.