Sir Adam Beck

It was an historic and exciting day on October 11, 1910, when the streets of Berlin were first illuminated with hydroelectric power from Niagara.
In 1886, Berlin businessman, D.B. Detweiler, conceived the idea of bringing electricity, generated at Niagara, to southwestern Ontario. Travelling on a bicycle, he continuously promoted the project, and his endeavours brought him the title of “Committee of One.”

St. Jacob’s industrialist, E.W.B. Snider, constantly and enthusiastically promoted the idea and to these men belong great credit for their tremendous achievements in bringing low-cost public power to this area.

They were assisted greatly by Sir Adam Beck, born in Baden in 1857, a distinguished citizen and politician, MPP 1902-1919 and 1923-1925, who became the first chairman of the Ontario Hydro Power Commission, and retained that position until his death in 1925.