1

Early inhabitants of Toronto, or York as it was known before 1834, had travelled long distances to settle in the burgeoning community. Resourcefulness was a necessity. Residents confronted significant challenges as they cleared land, built buildings, established governance structures and created commercial establishments to address both the necessities and comforts of life. Beer-making was one activity that addressed community wants and needs. As one would imagine, breweries were relatively small in the early days of Toronto, but by the second half of the 19th century, large-scale breweries were established to serve the growing markets for this alchoholic beverage.

This section contains images of the breweries, some of the personalities behind the breweries, as well as labels and other ephemera from the brewing establishments.

2

York's First Brewery
1800 - 1856
Duchess St (now Richmond St) and Caroline St (now Sherbourne St), Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Image: from "Landmarks of Toronto", by John Ross Robertson, V. 1, p. 495

3

Bloor's Brewery, 1830-1864
19th century, 1830 - 1864
Bloor and Sherbourne Streets, Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Image source: "Landmarks of Toronto", John Ross Robertson, v. 5, p. 535
see Bowering, Ian, "The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario", Burnstown, ON; General Store Publishing, 1988

4

Bloor's Brewery, 1830-1864
19th Century, 1830 - 1864
Bloor and Sherbourne Streets, Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Image: in Robertson, John Ross, "Landmarks of Toronto", vol 5, p. 535
Bowering, Ian, "The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario", Burnstown, ON; General Store Publishing, 1988

5

According to Wikipedia, beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereals - the most common of which is malted barley, although wheat, corn, and rice are also widely used. Most beer is flavoured with hops, which add bitterness and act as a natural preservative, though other flavourings such as herbs or fruit may occasionally be included

6

Farr's Brewery
1817-1890
Queen Street West, just west of Bellwoods Ave, Toronto, Canada

Credits:
"Landmarks of Toronto", by John Ross Robertson, volume 1, p.202

7

Farr's Brewery - another view
1817-1890
Queen Street West, just west of Bellwoods Ave, Toronto, Canada

Credits:
"Landmarks of Toronto", by John Ross Robertson, Vol. 1 1894, p. 204

8

Plan of Enoch Turner's Property
19 September 1854
Parliament St. and King St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Plan by John G. Howard, collection: Toronto Reference Library, plan #825

9

Enoch Turner, Brewer (1792 - 1866)
1960s
Parliament St. and King St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Photo: courtesy of Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Museum, Toronto, Canada

10

Doel Homestead and Brewery, 1827-1847
mid-19th century
Bay St. and Adelaide St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Illustration: Robertson, JR, "Landmarks of Toronto", vol 1, p. 54

11

John Doel
mid 19th century
Bay St. and Adelaide St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
"Landmarks of Toronto", John Ross Robertson, vol 1, p. 52

12

Severn's Brewery
1835 - 1886
east side of Yonge St, just north of Davenport Rd, Toronto, Canada

Credits:
"Landmarks of Toronto", by John Ross Robertson, 1894, Volume 1, p 212

13

Severn's Yorkville Brewery, 1835-1886
about 1870
east side of Yonge St, just north of Davenport Rd, Toronto, Canada

Credits:
from "The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario", by Ian Bowering, 1988, p. 95 (original in Toronto Reference Library, E:4-79B)

14

Helliwell Brewery
early to mid 19th century
Upper Don Valley, Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Illustration: in "Landmarks of Toronto", by John Ross Robertson, 1894, vol 1, p. 427