Date Published:
September 2007

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Walter. J. Francis

Of Walter J. Francis & Company, Consulting Engineers, 260 St. James Street, Montreal. Born Toronto, Ont., Jan. 28, 1872, son of Joseph and Elizabeth Francis. Educated Ontario Public Schools; Toronto Collegiate Institute, University of Toronto; Honour Graduate of Ontario School of Practical Science, in Civil Engineering, 1893. President, Engineering Institute of Canada, 1923, and Member of Council of that body for many years (C.E., Toronto University). Inspector and draughtsman on construction of Toronto Belt Line Railway, 1889-93; Topographer on Nipissing and St. James Bay Railway Location, summer 1893; Assistant Engineer in charge of design and construction of Toronto Union Station, 1893-96; Chief Draughtsman on bridge construction for Central Bridge and Engineering Company, Peterborough 1896-97; in service of Dept. of Railway and Canals of Canada, 1898-1906 (designed and had charge of the construction of two hydraulic lift locks on Trent Canal, costing about a million dollars each; also Division Engineer-in-charge on ten miles of canal construction; awarded the Gzowski medal for 1906, by the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, for paper describing two lift locks); in charge of construction of 32,000 h.p. hydro-electric plant at Bonnington Falls, B.C. for the West Kootenay Power Company; and representing Ross & Holgate; 1906; Asst. Manager and Chief Engineer of the Dominion Engineering and Construction Company, Montreal, 1907; engineer for Royal Commission of Inquiry into Quebec Bridge disaster; arbitrations, valuations, etc., on sundry cases for the courts; Granger Building collapse; appointed exclusive Canadian writer for the Engineer of London, Eng., 1908; examinations and reports on various hydro-electric power propositions; report on public utilities of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, with investigations into costs and operations of the same, 1910; examination and report on Herald Building disaster, Montreal, 1910, the Boxer Building collapse, Montreal, 1910, on construction of the Don Syphon for the main intercepting sewers for the City of Toronto, 1910; representing the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers on committee appointed by City of Montreal to revise the building by-laws of the City, 1910; later appointed Chairman of the sub-committee of same; report on hydro-electric and steam-electric plants for the City of Quebec, 1910; took Mr. Frederick B. Brown, M.Sc., into partnership 1910. Since that year, his firm's work has included among other things, designs and reports on many hydro-electric and steam power plants; investigations and report on buildings, especially foundations; investigations, reports and advice on many important structures; court work; construction of Moose Jaw water supply ($600,000 construction in eight and one-half months); designs for 250,000 H.P. hydro-electric plant at Carillon, probable expenditure over $18,000,000; investigation of Edmonton Water Supply and of underground electrical distribution; waterworks, roads, etc., for municipalities; building questions in connection with Mount Royal Tunnel, Montreal; munitions plant power problems; municipal electric lighting systems for Montreal West; 100,000 H.P. hydro-electric development on Gatineau River; Hydro-Radial Inquiry, Ontario; reference of matter of Dominion Iron & Steel Company, and Federal Government regarding construction of plate mill and contract for ship plates; Consulting Engineer to Royal Commission of Inquiry of Hydro-Electric Power Commissions of Ontario, covering reports on organization, design, construction, operation and economics of all activities of the Commission throughout Ontario; professional services for public utility companies and law firms, involving arbitrations, valuations, vibrations, rates, and many other engineering questions. Married Laura E. Grainger, Toronto, Nov. 26, 1896; has two sons. Clubs: University (Montreal), National (Toronto); Royal Societies (London, Eng.). Societies: Engineering Institute of Canada; Corporation of Professional Engineers of Quebec; American Society of Civil Engineers; American Institute of Consulting Engineers Inc. (New York); Institution of Civil Engineers (Great Britain); Corporation of Professional Engineers of Quebec; Engineering Society, University of Toronto; University of Toronto Alumni Assoc.; Rotary International; Westmount Municipal Assoc.; Boy Scouts Assoc.; American Public Health Assoc.; American Waterworks Assoc.; Montreal Homoeopathic Hospital; Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children; Montreal Board of Trade; A.F. & A.M.; Corinthian Lodge, Peterborough, Ont.; R.A.M., Past-Grand Z for Province of Quebec; A. & A.S.R., 32 degree, A.A.O.N.M.S., etc. Residence: 444 Prince Albert Ave., Westmount, Que.

Source: Prominent People of the Province of Quebec, 1923-24, Montreal, Biographical Society of Canada, Limited, undated and unpaginated. A minor typographical error has been corrected.

Walter Joseph Francis

One of the Most Prominent Civil Engineers of Canada.

Montreal, Quebec.

WALTER J. FRANCIS was born January 28th, 1872, at Toronto, Can., a son of Joseph Francis, English ancestry, and Elizabeth Francis, English-Canadian descent. He was educated in the Ontario public schools, Toronto Collegiate Institute, and University of Toronto, (degree C.E.) and is an honor graduate of Ontario School of Practical Science, Toronto, in civil engineering, 1893. In 1893 he was topographer on Nipissing and James Bay Railway location. 1893 to 1896 assistant engineer in charge of design and construction of Toronto Union Station. 1896 and 1897 chief draughtsman on bridge construction for Central Bridge and Engineering Company, Peterborough, Ont. 1898 to 1906 service of Department of Railways and Canals of Canada; designed and had charge of construction of two hydraulic lift locks on Trent Canal, also division engineer in charge of ten miles of canal construction, costing over a million dollars, was awarded the Gzowski Medal for 1906 by the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers for paper describing the two hydraulic lift locks. In 1906 in charge of construction of hydro-electric plant of the West Kootenay Power and Light Company, at Bonnington Falls, B. C., representing Ross & Holgate. 1907 assistant manager and chief engineer of the Dominion Engineering and Construction Company, Montreal. 1908 engineer for Royal Commission of inquiry into Quebec Bridge disaster, studied and reported on wreck, also developed in detail the theory of the collapse, prepared papers for arbitrations, valuations, etc., on sundry cases for the courts, also on Granger Building collapse as one of the board of three experts. Was appointed exclusive Canadian writer for The Engineer of London, Eng. 1909, reported on hydroelectric power station Campbellford, Ont., also took over the engineering, demolished and re-constructed the plant, made the preliminary survey and report on a two million dollar hydra-electric plant, North Saskatchewan River, near Edmonton. 1910, reported on the pubtic utilities of the city of Edmonton, Alta., with an investigation into the cost and operation of the same. Examination and report on the Boxer Building collapse, Montreal; Herald disaster, etc. Represented the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers on the committee appointed by Montreal to revise the building by-laws of the city and later appointed chairman of sub-committee of same. Reports on hydro-electric and steam-electric plants for the city of Quebec. In 1911 designed the steam electric plant for the Dorchester Electric Company of Quebec, also design of hydroelectric plant for the Dorchester, Que., Electric Company. Was sole arbitrator in sewer blockage case, City of Westmount, versus Quinlan & Co. Made examinations and report of water supply for the city of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

The partnership with Frederick B. Brown, M.Sc., was registered as Walter J. Francis Company, in 1911, the firm continuing the former practice, including the following: Complete engineering and construction of water supply for the city of Moose Jaw, Sask. Reports on various hydro-electric propositions. Reports on various buildings throughout Montreal.

In 1912 engaged in the continuation and completion of the Moose Jaw Water Supply; electrical engineering of the new Montreal High School; sundry court cases involving engineering, etc. Member of Board of Engineers for the city of Edmonton, Alta., involving an expenditure of several millions on waterworks, sewerage and electrical systems; engaged in water supply problems of the city of Winnipeg. Exhaustive report on 150.000 h.p. hydroelectric development site on the Ottawa River at Carillon, Que.

Mr. Francis is a member of the Canadian Club, the Engineer's Club of Montreal, the Royal Societies Club of London, Eng., the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, (of which he is a member of Council), the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Institute of Consulting Engineers, and the Institution of Civil Engineers in England. He was married November 26th, 1896, to Laura E. Grainger and to them were born two children, Edward Walter Francis and Francis Francis. Mr. Francis is affiliated with the Masonic Fraternity and occupies high offices in the various degrees of the order, being also a member of the Mystic Shrine, Karnak Temple, Montreal, Office and residence, Montreal Que.

Source: Canadian History Makers. A Volume Containing Accurate and Concise Sketches of Men who have Done Things in The Dominion of Canada Past and Present Together with Photogravures Made from their Latest Photographs, Montreal, Canadian Publication Society, 1913, 159p., p. 131.