Thomas McAvity & Company was established on May 19, 1834 in Saint John New Brunswick. They were once Canada's leading foundry and valve casting company. Among their customers, they supplied Canadian Pacific and Canadian National with various valves and fittings, as well as produced whistles (both brass 3 chimes as well as cast 5 and 6 chime). The whistles were sometimes sold under the name 'World'. McAvity was sold to Crane Canada Ltd. In 1960. Crane incorporated some of McAvity's product lines into theirs and discontinued others. In 1990 the McAvity Division was sold to Clow Canada in Hamilton, Ontario.