Machine Company. In 1910 Douglas Hannon died, and Ferguson became the sole owner and head of the business. Ferguson ownership During Ferguson's twenty-five years of management of the foundry, it was diversified, with an expansion of machine, moulding, boiler, carpenter and pattern-work operations. This allowed for the lease of machine-shop facilities to early automobile mechanics. During 1913 the plant was equipped with electromotive power and was the first in the area to change from steam. After the outbreak of the Great War, the company participated in the war effort and machine finished thousands of shells forged in Trenton, Nova Scotia. Once the war was over and peace was enjoyed for another two decades, the primary work for the Pictou Foundry and Machine Company was both steel and wooden ship and dredge repairs. Ferguson died in 1932, and the business was then taken over by his eldest son, Robert A. Ferguson, who upon the outbreak of war was joined by his three brothers, Allan A. Ferguson Junior, Thomas Ferguson and James Ferguson. Before World War II there had not been a ship launched in Pictou since the barque Orquell in 1879. Park ships Britain had been at war for less than a year when it was realized that Germany was destroying Britain's merchant ships faster than they could be replaced. Due to Britain's focus on the production of its own naval ships, it did not have the capacity to keep up with merchant vessel losses. This led to a British shipbuilding commission arriving in North America in October 1940 looking for help to supply the much needed transport. The commission found the help they were looking for, and the Canadian government was charged with the immediate construction of twenty-six 10,000-ton cargo ships for Britain. At the same time Canada decided to build more ships for its own benefit. It was some of these additional ships that would be built as Park ships in Pictou. A totally of twenty-four 4,700-ton Scandinavian class freighters would eventually be built, but not before major preparation and expansion measures were completed to the yard and town to accommodate the new booming business. When the good news hit Pictou on October 9, 1941, the Pictou shipyard consisted of a marine slip with refit and repair capability. Major changes thus had to be made, launch ways had to be built, and more space had to be created. To