Graham Fraser (August 12, 1846 – December 25, 1915) was a Canadian industrialist.

Career

With George Forrest McKay, he founded '' Hope Iron Works'', a company specialized in ironing ships. The company changed name to the '' Nova Scotia Forge Company'' thereafter. With the decline of the wooden shipbuilding industry, the company diversified to also create other pieces of metal. Fraser took advantage of

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, and created the ''

Nova Scotia Steel Company A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramat ...

'' to manufacture raw steel, which was needed for the construction of the

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and the development of industries in Canada. The production of steel ingots by the "Scotia" as the company was colloquially called, began in 1883. In 1897, internal disputes in the "Scotia" caused Fraser to leave the company to lead the

Dominion Iron and Steel Company The Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation (also DOSCO) was a Canadian coal mining and steel manufacturing company. Incorporated in 1928 and operational by 1930, DOSCO was predated by the British Empire Steel Corporation (BESCO), which was a merger o ...

, the chief competitor of Scotia. He retired in 1905, and returned to New Glasgow to live the rest of his days.

New Glasgow

Fraser served various offices in New Glasgow throughout his life, as town councillor, water commissioner, and director of the Aberdeen Hospital. He was elected mayor of New Glasgow in 1910, a position he held until his death in 1915.

Legacy

In the 1960s, a cairn showing Fraser and McKay was unveiled in

Trenton, Nova Scotia Trenton is a town located in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1786, it is situated on the east bank of the East River of Pictou. The community gained its name in 1882 at the suggestion of a prominent citiz ...

by then

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to honor these "pioneers of the Canadian steel industry".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Graham 1846 births 1915 deaths People from Pictou County People from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia Businesspeople from Nova Scotia Canadian industrialists Mayors of places in Nova Scotia