Older than Canada eh!

A 32-pounder cannon manning the beach of Marie Curtis Park was built in Scotland more than 200-years ago and seems to be barely touched by time and weather.

The guns manufactured by the Carron Company, of Falkirk, Scotland, saw years of action in the battlefields before being retired due to use and installed in parks and museums as a reminder of the past and for decorative purposes.

The Marie Curtis heavy gun was one of five retired and sent to Riverdale Park after a Toronto alderman in 1881 requested some cannons to decorate the expansive park.

Soon after A.P. Carron, Scotland’s Minister of Militia and Defense, visited Toronto with five cannons on carriages which arrived from Quebec City at the Yonge St. wharf, where they were hauled to Riverdale. Some have since been moved to other parks.

The gun at Marie Curtis was placed at the mouth of the Etobicoke Creek right at the point where Hurricane Hazel swept a cottage community out into Lake Ontario in 1954. It has over the years brough joy and memories for many people

The Carron Company was well managed and held it’s own against competition from other weapons makers for almost 200 years.

During both world wars the company produced munitions while meeting the  demands of peace time reconstruction in the building industry, supplying a large range of domestic products including fire grates, gas and electric cookers and baths.

The company thrived making large cooking ranges for ship’s galleys and kitchens and even made iron tiles for the British Houses of Parliament and castings for the Admiralty and Volvo cars.

Carron, which at one time was involved in the production of stainless steel and plastic goods, had its own coalmines, a fleet of ships carrying goods and passengers, agencies worldwide, showrooms in major cities and its own railway.

The firm went into receivership in 1982.