John Roaf Barber
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John Roaf Barber (July 5, 1841 – March 3, 1917) was a Canadian businessman and represented Halton in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1898 to 1904.
He was born in Georgetown, Ontario in 1841. His father came to Canada from northern Ireland in 1822. His father and uncles had established a paper mill in the area. Barber became the manager in 1861 and took over operation of the mills in 1880. In 1876, with his brother James and John Fitzallen Ellis, he established Barber and Ellis, which would become one of the largest stationery manufacturers and suppliers in Canada. In 1881, he helped establish Toronto Paper Manufacturing Company Limited and set up a mill at Cornwall, Ontario. In 1887, he set up a sulphite mill there to supply high quality wood pulp to his plant and others.
In 1888, he upgraded the original paper mill on the Credit River to use hydroelectric power, believed to be the first industrial application of this technology in Canada.
He also served in the militia and was reeve of Georgetown from 1867 to 1876 and in 1882. He was elected as a Liberal to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1898.
He retired from business in 1912 following a heart attack the year before. He died in Georgetown in 1917.
