Computing Devices of Canada Ltd. (CDC)

Computing Devices of Canada Ltd. (CDC)

Company

1949

>1982

Anglesea Square, Lowertown, Ottawa, Ontario (1949)

Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario (c.1951)

303 Richmond Road, Ottawa, ON (1953)

338 Queen Street, Ottawa, ON (1953)

311 Richmond Road, Ottawa, ON (1964)

Computing

Defence

Designing

Manufacturing

- 1948, Aug – Company incorporated as Computing Devices of Canada Ltd. (CDC) (“General Dynamics Canada Celebrates 60^th Anniversary”)

- 1949 – “CDC was just getting started in a little building on Anglesea Square down in Lowertown. Later they moved out to Albert Street to roughly where the Skyline Hotel used to be and the Citadel Inn is now. They got started on the strength of a $4,000 government contract to design a computer that would simulate the movements of aircraft and submarines… The guys who got he contract were two immigrant engineers from Poland, Joe Norton and George Glinski… Joe’s son, Mark Norton… was the founder of Norpak Corporation” (“Valley Kid”)

- 1953 – Active at Ottawa. R&D: 303 Richmond Road, Ottawa, ON; Head Office & Production: 338 Queen Street, Ottawa, ON (“Modern Plant Facilities”)

- 1956 – Active at Ottawa, Canada in Bells Corners; announcing the part-acquisition of CDC by Bendix Aviation Corp., through its Canadian subsidiary Bendix-Eclipse of Canada Ltd. (“Valley Kid”; “New Agreement Widens Scope of CDC Activities”)

- 1964 – Active in Bells Corners, Ottawa, 311 Richmond Road, Ottawa. (Fraser’s Canadian Trade Directory (1964))

- 1982 – “Now employing more than 800 people at its Bells Corners Plant… CD produces electronic products for military use in Canada, the U.S., and other NATO companies [sic].” (“High-tech tag”)

- 2008 – Active as General Dynamics Canada and celebrating 60 years in Ottawa. Currently mainly operating as a defence contractor. “With the inauguration of the new Halifax facility the company now has business operations in every region of the country. In addition to the new Halifax facility, the company has operations in Bells Corners and Kanata in Ottawa, and a corporate campus in Calgary.” (“General Dynamics Canada Celebrates 60^th Anniversary”)

- 2024 – Active as General Dynamics Canada with headquarters at 1941 Robertson Road
Ottawa, ON. Halifax site at 31 Millbrook Avenue, Dartmouth, NS; 110 - 1120 68^th Ave NE, Calgary, AB; 805 Galt Ouest, Sherbrooke, QC. (https://gdmissionsystems.ca/contact-us)

Fraser’s Canadian Trade Directory (1964): 764.

“General Dynamics Canada Celebrates 60^th Anniversary” General Dynamics Mission Systems – Canada, September 23, 2008 (https://gdmissionsystems.ca/articles/2008/09/22/general-dynamics-canada-celebrates-60th-anniversary) [21-11-24]

“‘High-tech’ tag covers variety of firms” Ottawa Citizen March 23, 1982.

Memoirs of a Valley Kid “NRC, Noranda, Northern opened high tech floodgates” Silicon Valley NORTH (February 1996): 12-13

“Modern Plant Facilities” Electronics and Communications - Directory and Buyer’s Guide” (1953): 31 (https://worldradiohistory.com/CANADA/Electronics-and-Communication/Electronics-&-Communications-1953-11-12.pdf)

“New Agreement Widens Scope of CDC Activities” Electronics and Communications - Directory and Buyer’s Guide (1957): 7 (https://worldradiohistory.com/CANADA/Electronics-and-Communication/Electronics-&-Communications-1956-12.pdf)