Galt Public Utilities Commission Building

The Galt Public Utilities Commission Building was constructed after the need for a more reliable power source became apparent. In 1907, Galt officials, along with officials from other areas of what is now the City of Cambridge, negotiated with the Hydro Electric Power Commission to transmit electricity from Niagara to Galt.

Sir Adam Beck, known as the father of public electrical power in Ontario, spearheaded the Niagara power project, and was instrumental in the establishment of the Galt Public Utilities Commission Building. Sir Beck, who at one time lived in the former City of Galt and owned a manufacturing business in the area, encouraged officials to construct the building and to include in it a hydro shop, to promote the use of power. The building is said to have secured the future of electrical power in the community. In Sir Beck's honour, a memorial tablet on the building reads, “In grateful and affectionate remembrance of Sir Adam Beck without whose knightly courage and inspiring zeal this building and all for which it stands could not have been”.

F.C. Bodley, the local architect who oversaw the Public Utilities Commission Building's construction, in 1922, was also well known in the former City of Galt. Another prominent example of Brodley's work, in the City of Cambridge, is the Galt Arena Gardens.

The Galt Public Utilities Commission Building is an excellent example of the Modern Classical style of architecture. The Modern Classical style is demonstrated through the building's strong symmetry, flat roofline and understated details. The arched windows on the first storey and the panels of windows on the second and third stories, created by projecting pillars, also contribute to the simple beauty of this structure.

Located at the corner of Wellington and Dickson Streets, and part of the downtown Civic Centre area, the architecture of this building makes a significant contribution to the streetscape.