History

Six decades of making buildings work.

Modern Niagara started in 1959 as a local plumbing services shop. Today it’s a national contractor specializing in mechanical, electrical and other systems.

The first 20 years

1959: Jan Kaminski and Joe Clark open Modern Plumbing, a plumbing services shop in Ottawa that later became Modern Mechanical

1961: Mechanical services shop Niagara Mechanical opens in Toronto

1973: Joe Clark sells his shares and Jan Kaminski brings in shareholders Jack O’Brien, Bob Dube and John McAninch

1980s

1981: Modern Mechanical’s principals establish Colonnade Leasing and Colonnade Developments (1985) to develop suburban real-estate in Ottawa

1989: Modern Mechanical and Colonnade Developments separate, leaving Jack O’Brien and John McAninch as the sole owners of Modern Mechanical

1990s

1992: Modern Mechanical’s first acquisition is Ottawa-based Gorlan Mechanical

1995: Modern Mechanical acquires HVAC specialist company Robertair

1997: Modern Mechanical creates Integrated Control Solutions Inc., an Ottawa-based building controls service provider

1999: Modern Mechanical Inc. acquires Niagara Mechanical in Toronto and rebrands as Modern Niagara Group Inc.

2000s

2000: Modern Niagara creates a Special Projects division in Ottawa and Toronto to meet client needs for mechanical retrofits, tenant fit-ups and energy solutions

2004 to 2006: Modern Niagara Group expands further with the purchase of three Ontario HVAC services companies: Niagara Mechanical Services and Air Force Inc. in Toronto, and Brough Mechanical Services in Kingston

2007: Modern Niagara Group acquires a company in Halifax and renames it Atlantica Mechanical, adds five new service locations in Ontario

2008: Modern Niagara Group establishes a branch in Calgary, Alberta

2010s

2010: Modern Niagara acquires sheet metal company DMC Mechanical Inc. to drive growth in the Toronto market and expand its design capabilities

2011: Modern Niagara Group establishes its Saskatchewan branch

2013: Modern Niagara Group founds a building controls line and purchases Breneck Technical Services Inc., doubling the size of the company’s Ottawa building services division

2014: The company expands its footprint in Alberta with the founding of Modern Niagara Edmonton

2016: Modern Niagara acquires Laser Electric and Industrial Electric in Ottawa and establishes Modern Niagara Vancouver with the purchase of Keith Plumbing & Heating in Vancouver

2019: Modern Niagara is named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. In the same year, Modern Niagara was received the 2019 Canada’s Safest Employers Award in the Building and Construction category (Gold) and the 2019 Canada’s Best Health + Safety Culture Award (Silver) from the Canadian Occupational Safety magazine.

2020: Modern Niagara is named among Canada’s Top 100 Employers for the second consecutive year.

Decades of experience have made Modern Niagara the dependable, multi-trade contractor we are today.