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Polymer Corporation

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34:. After the Japanese captured the Dutch East Indies in 1942, most of the world's supply of natural rubber was out of Allied hands. Due to the importance of rubber products for both modern life and modern warfare, the loss of such an important resource at this phase in the war was a crisis. A factory was established in 119:
of Germany. The original Sarnia production facilities were shut down through a series of closures from 1995 through 2002, but the site remains active, operating facilities built through expansion beginning in the 1980s. In 2005 Bayer AG spun off chemical divisions, including most of the Sarnia site,
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The company became infamous for its pollution spills, including 48 spills reported in the Sarnia area between 1972 and 1984 alone. After a 1985 report showing that Polysar had more spills than any of its neighbours, further spills occurred: 7,000 gallons of oil on 25 July 1986 and 28,000 gallons of
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which provides the necessary water supply for the production of synthetic rubber. The product was used in everything from tires to airplane parts and much of it was sold to the US as part of the common war effort. With the combination of synthetic rubber produced by Polymer, reclaimed rubber, and
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the company fell, decided to keep Polymer going as a Crown corporation after the war. Even as early as 1942, Howe said, "I don't think we will ever go back to crude rubber." It was a highly profitable enterprise, and he was not convinced that any buyer would pay a proper price or keep it going.
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Sarnia was chosen because it is the point of intake the most secure and reliable source of crude oil coming into Canada; a type suitable for the synthetic rubber making process. The site was also chosen due to the adjacent
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series, which depicted a scene of its operations on the reverse. The image was used because the company had "achieved a world-wide reputation" and the image "provided detail ideally suited to engraving".
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jointly held the rights). Polymer produced approximately 3,300 tons of synthetic rubber from oil every month from when production first began at the end of 1943 to the wars end in 1945.
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partially treated wastewater on 19 August 1986, and many more in subsequent years. By 1989, Polysar Ltd was listed among the "dirty dozen" polluters in
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It has been cited as an example of how crown corporations can be profitable over a sustained period of time and contribute to the economy.
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Polymer therefore survived the war, reporting through Howe and his successors to Parliament until 1971 when it was sold to the
422: 103:, environmentalists consider Polysar a worse enemy because of its record of spills.... Polysar, says Environment Minister 266: 287: 377: 327: 389: 66:
The company was considered a roaring success, more efficient than its American counterparts and a national asset.
353: 76: 152: 51: 340: 87:. It was renamed Polysar in 1976 and the rubber component became a subsidiary, Polysar Rubber Corp. 128: 104: 270: 67: 261: 8: 190:
Wilson, Kenneth R. (April 1, 1944). "Rubber Crisis". No. Vo. 55. Maclean's Magazine.
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which was a government controlled enterprise. The company was also involved in the
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in 1988 with its sale to NOVA Corp which, in turn, sold Polysar Rubber in 1990 to
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History of the Department of Munitions and Supply: Canada in the Second World War
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rubber product rationing, Canada was able to meet its war-time needs.
47: 390:"Finding aid to Polysar Archive fonds, Library and Archives Canada" 116: 121: 92: 39: 43: 35: 27: 148: 407:
Profiting the Crown: Canada's Polymer Corporation, 1942-1990
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Profiting The Crown: Canada's Polymer Corporation, 1942-1990
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Profiting The Crown: Canada's Polymer Corporation, 1942-1990
219:. Sarnia: Haimes Frontier Publishing Co. pp. 307–308. 233:. Canada: Statistics Canada. 1943–1944. p. 356. 127:Polymer's contribution was recognized by the 1971 99:'Although Polysar is smaller than its neighbour, 414: 304:Tom Spears (March 11, 1989). "The Dirty Dozen". 257: 255: 223: 448:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1988 271:Pollution of the St. Clair River (Sarnia area) 30:to substitute for overseas supply cut off by 252: 244:"Ground Broken for Synthetic Rubber Plant". 303: 26:established in 1942 to produce artificial 433:Defunct manufacturing companies of Canada 342:The Art and Design of Canadian Bank Notes 299: 297: 217:Lambton County's Hundred Years: 1849-1949 214: 170: 168: 83:industry, primarily in the production of 362: 208: 312: 237: 174: 155:. Archival reference number is R14901. 428:Chemical companies established in 1942 415: 372:, McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, (2005) 322:, McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, (2005) 294: 189: 165: 46:technology from an American licensee ( 183: 438:Former Crown corporations of Canada 348:. Bank of Canada. 6 December 2006. 267:Ontario Ministry of the Environment 13: 409:by Matthew Bellamy (book excerpts) 72:Department of Munitions and Supply 16:Canadian federal crown corporation 14: 464: 453:1988 disestablishments in Ontario 400: 382: 333: 443:1942 establishments in Ontario 280: 248:. The Observer. July 23, 1942. 194: 77:Canada Development Corporation 42:, using German patents on the 1: 158: 423:Chemical companies of Canada 147:There is a Polysar archives 7: 153:Library and Archives Canada 142: 10: 469: 215:Lauriston, Victor (1949). 175:Kennedy, J. de N. (1950). 52:Standard Oil of New Jersey 129:Canadian ten-dollar note 22:was a Canadian federal 109: 368:Bellamy, Matthew J., 318:Bellamy, Matthew J., 288:" "History of Spills" 202:"The Rush for Rubber" 124:AG, also of Germany. 97: 68:Clarence Decatur Howe 308:. p. D1 and D5. 20:Polymer Corporation 263:Environment Canada 204:. 28 January 2012. 24:crown corporation 460: 394: 393: 386: 380: 366: 360: 359: 347: 337: 331: 316: 310: 309: 306:The Toronto Star 301: 292: 291: 284: 278: 277: 275: 259: 250: 249: 241: 235: 234: 231:Canada Year Book 227: 221: 220: 212: 206: 205: 198: 192: 191: 187: 181: 180: 172: 133:Scenes of Canada 111:The company was 468: 467: 463: 462: 461: 459: 458: 457: 413: 412: 403: 398: 397: 388: 387: 383: 367: 363: 356: 345: 339: 338: 334: 317: 313: 302: 295: 286: 285: 281: 273: 260: 253: 243: 242: 238: 229: 228: 224: 213: 209: 200: 199: 195: 188: 184: 173: 166: 161: 145: 60:St. Clair River 17: 12: 11: 5: 466: 456: 455: 450: 445: 440: 435: 430: 425: 411: 410: 402: 401:External links 399: 396: 395: 381: 361: 354: 332: 311: 293: 279: 251: 236: 222: 207: 193: 182: 163: 162: 160: 157: 144: 141: 81:petrochemicals 70:, under whose 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 465: 454: 451: 449: 446: 444: 441: 439: 436: 434: 431: 429: 426: 424: 421: 420: 418: 408: 405: 404: 391: 385: 379: 378:0-7735-2815-6 375: 371: 365: 357: 351: 344: 343: 336: 329: 328:0-7735-2815-6 325: 321: 315: 307: 300: 298: 290:. 2012-04-17. 289: 283: 272: 268: 264: 258: 256: 247: 240: 232: 226: 218: 211: 203: 197: 186: 178: 171: 169: 164: 156: 154: 150: 140: 137: 134: 130: 125: 123: 118: 114: 108: 106: 102: 96: 94: 88: 86: 82: 78: 73: 69: 64: 61: 55: 53: 49: 45: 41: 37: 33: 29: 25: 21: 384: 369: 364: 341: 335: 319: 314: 305: 282: 246:The Observer 245: 239: 230: 225: 216: 210: 196: 185: 176: 146: 138: 126: 110: 101:Dow Chemical 98: 89: 85:polyurethane 65: 56: 32:World War II 19: 18: 105:Jim Bradley 417:Categories 355:0660632462 159:References 113:privatized 330:, page ii 276:(Report). 120:creating 48:IG Farben 265:and the 143:Archives 117:Bayer AG 131:of the 122:LANXESS 93:Ontario 40:Ontario 376:  352:  326:  44:Buna-S 36:Sarnia 28:rubber 346:(PDF) 274:(PDF) 149:fonds 374:ISBN 350:ISBN 324:ISBN 50:and 151:at 419:: 296:^ 269:. 254:^ 167:^ 95:: 38:, 392:. 358:.

Index

crown corporation
rubber
World War II
Sarnia
Ontario
Buna-S
IG Farben
Standard Oil of New Jersey
St. Clair River
Clarence Decatur Howe
Department of Munitions and Supply
Canada Development Corporation
petrochemicals
polyurethane
Ontario
Dow Chemical
Jim Bradley
privatized
Bayer AG
LANXESS
Canadian ten-dollar note
Scenes of Canada
fonds
Library and Archives Canada


"The Rush for Rubber"


Environment Canada

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