Northern Breweries facts for kids
Northern Ale beer label
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| Founded | 1907 |
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| Defunct | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Sudbury, Ontario, Canada |
| Owner | J.J. Doran (1907-?) Canadian Breweries (1971-77) employee-owned cooperative (1977-2004) Leo Schotte (2004-06) |
Northern Breweries was a Canadian company that made beverages. It had factories in Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The company operated for almost 100 years, from 1907 until 2006.
Contents
A Look Back: Northern Breweries' Story
How It Started
Northern Breweries began in 1907. Three families, the Dorans, Mackeys, and Fees, started it. J.J. Doran was the main person who organized and ran the company. He worked with J.J. Mackey and Richard Fee. Together, they helped the company grow across Northern Ontario.
Early Growth and New Locations
The first main factory was built in Sudbury in 1907. It was first called the Sudbury Brewing and Malting Co.. The company started to grow in 1911. They bought the Soo Falls Brewing Co. in Sault Ste. Marie. In 1913, they also bought the Kakabeka Falls Brewing Co. in Fort William.
In 1919, the company opened its Doran's Brewery section in Timmins. Later, in 1948, they bought the Port Arthur Beverage Co. in Port Arthur.
Becoming One Company
All the different factories kept their original names until 1960. In that year, all the operations came under one management. They stopped using their old names. The company became known as Doran's Northern Breweries.
During its most successful time, the company had a special product. It was called the "draft ball". This was a large plastic ball that held their products. It was different from the usual metal containers.
Company Changes and Ownership
New Owners and Employee Power
On August 31, 1971, a company called Canadian Breweries bought Northern Breweries. However, Northern Breweries still used its old name. In July 1977, the employees of Doran's Northern Breweries bought the company back. This made Northern Breweries the first employee-owned brewing cooperative in North America. This meant the employees owned and ran the company together.
In 1979, the company started selling its products in Southern Ontario too.
Another Change in Leadership
In 2004, an investment group bought the company. Leo Schotte led this group. Schotte hired William Sharpe, who had a lot of experience in the beverage business. In 2005, the company announced big changes. They stopped making many old products. Instead, they focused on newer products and brand designs.
The End of Northern Breweries
Financial Troubles
In 2006, people started asking questions in Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie. They wondered if Northern Breweries was meeting the rules for tax benefits. One rule was to hire more people. But there was no proof that this had happened.
In June 2006, William Sharpe spoke to the Sault Ste. Marie city council. He said that low sales and a lack of investor interest were causing problems. By 2006, the company owed $7 million. They had also stopped making products at the Sudbury factory. Sharpe left the company in July 2006. By December of that year, the company had closed down.
Northern Breweries products are no longer made. The company's properties were sold to pay off debts in 2009.
What Happened Next to the Buildings
Sudbury Factory's New Life
In 2010, a local bus company, Sookram Bus Lines, bought the Sudbury factory. But the owner, Druve Sookram, put the building up for sale again in 2013. His plans for the building were too expensive. In June 2014, a real estate developer named Greg Oldenburg bought the Sudbury factory. He announced plans to turn the building into loft apartments. In November 2016, the city approved his plans.
Sault Ste. Marie Factory's Fate
The factory in Sault Ste. Marie was bought by Renaissance Place Corporation in 2011. They planned to build apartments and shops there. But the building was damaged by arson (a fire started on purpose) in 2013. It has been listed for sale again because of unpaid taxes.
New Local Breweries
Since Northern Breweries closed, new smaller beverage companies have started in both cities. Stack Brewing opened in Sudbury in 2013. OutSpoken Brewing started in Sault Ste. Marie in 2014. Northern Superior Brewing also launched in Sault Ste. Marie in 2015.
Images for kids
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Northern Breweries building in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
