Ernest A LeSueur, born in Ottawa in 1869, made outstanding contributions to early industrial chemistry and to industrial development in Canada.
Before turning 20 he developed a novel electrolytic cell for the manufacture of caustic soda and chlorine from brine, the first of its type to operate successfully. He was the first to conceive of the principle upon which the modern diaphragm electrolytic cell operates.
LeSueur also worked on liquid air and invented a method of enriching the oxygen content, an important contribution to the subsequent development of many industrial processes.