John Kinder Labatt National Historic Person of Canada, London, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 42° 58.640 W 081° 14.852
17T E 479816 N 4758327
Labatt’s Ltd has become a giant in the brewing industry of Canada. Its founder and family patriarch is John Labatt, an immigrant to the London area from France in the 1830s. John was a City Councillor, Board of Trade member and philanthropist.
Waymark Code: WMEFX8
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 05/24/2012
Views: 12
One might justly expect a descendant of French Huguenots from Bordeaux, albeit by way of Ireland, to become a wine grower in Canada, not a brewer. John Kinder Labatt (1803-1866) is the patriarch of the brewing dynasty John Labatt’s Limited which has cornered as much as 40% of the Canadian beer market. He and his wife arrived in Upper Canada in 1833 and he settled on 200 acres near London, land that was sold by the Canada Company. In 1847 he sold his farm and invested in a small pre-existing brewery with friend Samuel Eccles. He bought out Eccles in 1854. His business successfully dealt in barley, malt and hops and specialized in brewing ale. The Labatt Brewery still occupies prime land near the forks of the Thames in London. In recent years the brewery has diversified into owning the Toronto Blue Jays and a sports television channel. John was civic minded and he was a member of City Council, the Board of Trade and known for his philanthropy. John Labatt was designated of national significance in 1971 and plaqued by the federal government in 1976.
Classification: National Historic Person
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: London
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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