Charles Rathgeb
Plot 5, Lot 1
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
In 1949, the Canadian Comstock company, of which American-born Charles Rathgeb was founder and president, was requested by the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario (now Ontario Hydro*) to undertake a massive province-wide frequency standardisation program. The job of converting the electrical equipment of 7 million Hydro customers from 25 to 60 cycles was initially estimated as a 15-year project, Canadian Comstock, which was involved at the time on the electrification of Canada's first subway, the TTC's Yonge line, completed the colossal $352-million job in just 10 years. Charles Rathgeb was subsequently involved in the construction of the Trans-Mountain Oil Pipe Line, the Trans-Canada Microwave System, and the St. Lawrence Seaway. He died at the age of 73 while vacationing in Florida on April 5, 1969, and was returned to Toronto for burial.
Mike Filey
Mount Pleasant Cemetery: An Illustrated Guide
Second Edition Revised and Expanded
*Editor's note - In 1999, Ontario Hydro was broken into five separate businesses: Ontario Power Generation; Hydro One; Independent Electricity System Operator; Electrical Safety Authority; and Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation.