Thomas Ahearn

Thomas Ahearn was a Canadian inventor and businessman who was influential in the development of the electrical industry in Ottawa. He started his career as a telegraph operator and later became the manager of the Bell Telephone Company in Ottawa. In 1881, he co-founded Ahearn & Soper, an electrical contracting company that installed electric lights, telephones, and streetcars in the city. He also founded the Chaudière Electric Light and Power Company, which competed with Ottawa Hydro for electricity supply. He held several patents related to electrical devices, such as the electric oven, the electric heater, and the electric railway car. He was the founder and president of the Ottawa Electric Railway Company, which operated the streetcar system in Ottawa for over 50 years. He also founded the Ottawa Car Manufacturing Company, which produced streetcars for the Canadian market. He was involved in various civic and philanthropic activities, such as the Milk for Britain campaign during the Second World War, the Ottawa Improvement Commission, and the National Capital Commission. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1928 and received many honours and awards for his contributions to the electrical industry and the community. He died of heart failure in Ottawa on June 28, 1938, at the age of 83. He is widely regarded as a pioneer and a leader in the field of electricity.