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Imperial Oil Refinery, Petrolia
Standard Oil was the big player in North America and its popularity in the United States was causing problems for Canadians. Understanding the need to work together, 16 Canadians banded together to form the Imperial Oil Company in 1880, with Jacob Englehart as the driving force. The company did everything they could to be successful. A major deterrent to the Canadian-produced oil was its rancid smell but Imperial acquired a patent to deodorize the product. As Canadians expanded west, so too did Imperial Oil's ventures, with oil being carried in tank wagons across the prairies and up to Hudson's Bay Company posts in the northern territories.
The company suffered a major setback when their London refinery was struck by lightning and burned in 1883. Citizens of the town had previously grown irritated with the industry which was prone to fires and foul smells. As a result, the company decided to expand the Petrolia refinery to serve as their new head office.
Despite a decade of success, with offices located all across Canada, Imperial began to have serious trouble and in 1895, in order to continue operations, they had to accept funding from the Standard Oil Company who moved the main refinery from Petrolia to Sarnia. There, Imperial Oil prospered with the growing popularity of the automobile and the outbreak of the First World War. It was the largest oil refinery in the British Empire during the Second World War, providing the much needed fuel to the war effort. Today, the company continues to operate and is the largest producer of crude oil in Canada.
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