The following chronology of events outlines the relationships between Oland and Son and its affiliated companies.

 

Oland and Son Limited was a beer brewing company based in Nova Scotia. The company was founded in 1867 by Sir Francis deWinton and John James Dunn Oland. John James Dunn Oland purchased deWinton’s interests in the brewery when he left Nova Scotia and the firm remained in the hands of the Oland Family until the company sold its brewing assets to John Labatt Limited in 1971.

 

Between 1867 and 1971, numerous affiliated companies and subsidiaries were created to support the operations of Oland and Son Limited or to manage the financial interests of members of the Oland Family. After the sale, several companies changed names and became holding and investment companies, and Oland’s Breweries (1971) Limited was established to continue operating the breweries. Individual administrative histories of these companies are provided below.

 

1862-65 – John James Dunn Oland and his wife, Susannah, immigrate from Bristol, England to Truro, Nova Scotia

 

1867 – Army Navy Brewery begins operations

 

1867 – Captain de Winton signs partnership with George Corkburn Harvey, Thomas Mowbray and John James Dunn Oland to produce and market “brown October Ale”, a famous recipe developed by Susannah

 

1870 – John James Dunn Oland is killed in a horse accident. Susannah Oland takes over the company with her three sons

 

1874 – Susannah Oland and George Fraser create Fraser, Oland and Company Proprietors

 

1877 – Susannah Oland buys all remaining shares of Fraser, Oland and Company Proprietors from George Fraser and renames the company S. Oland, Sons and Company

 

1878 – S. Oland Sons and Co. brewery is destroyed by fire

 

1880 – New brewery is built in Turtle Grove, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

 

1886 – Susannah Oland died. This ends the first generation of Olands in the brewing industry

 

1893 – The Oland sons restructure the company. It is incorporated and renamed Maritime Brewing and Company Limited. John C. Oland is elected President and George W.C. Oland is elected Vice-President

 

1895 – A group of English businessmen buy five Halifax-based breweries and amalgamate them into Halifax Breweries Limited. Breweries include Maritime Brewing Company, J. Lindberg’s Brewery, P. and J. O’Mullins, Charles Hayward Crystal Springs, and Morris and Hyndman’s Brewery.

 

1895 – George W.C. Oland and his brother, John C. Oland, take shares in the new company in lieu of a cash buy out

 

1896 – Brewery in Turtle Grove is partially gutted by fire

 

1905 – George Woodhouse Culverwell Oland and his son Sidney buy Hayward’s Highland Springs Brewery on Agricola Street. They rename the brewery Oland and Son Limited. George W.C. Oland is President, Sidney C. Oland is Vice-President and John C. Oland is brewmaster

 

1908 – Sidney C. Oland graduates from the U.S. Brewer’s Academy

 

1911 – Conrad G. Oland returns from several years working for U. S. breweries and becomes brewmaster of A. Keith and Son and also joins the Turtle Grove Brewery

 

1916-1919 – Sidney C. Oland serves in World War I and all board meetings of Oland and Son Limited are postponed

 

1919 – Sidney C. Oland returns to Halifax and a new Board of Directors for Oland and Son Limited is elected. Sidney is elected President and R.T. MacIlreith is elected Vice-President. George Oland leaves for New Brunswick to manage his own brewery

 

1916-1930 – Period of expansion for Oland and Son Limited despite prohibition. “Near beer” (2.5% alcohol) was produced for local market and regular beer was produced for export market. Sales rose from $300,000/year to $614,000/year

 

1917 – Halifax Explosion kills Conrad G. Oland and destroys the Turtle Grove brewery and the Agricola Street brewery

 

1918-1919 – George W. C. Oland buys the Simeon Jones Red Ball Brewery in Saint John, New Brunswick

 

1922 – Sidney C. Oland rebuilds Agricola Street brewery and appoints his son David Oland in charge while he puruses a career in Hollywood

 

1923 – Post-war recession and Halifax Explosion cause Sidney Oland to declare Oland and Son bankrupt

 

1925 – Geoffrey Oland dies. Oland and Son Limited buys Ready Beverages Limited

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1927 – A. Keith and Son brewery is bought by Oland and Son Limited

 

1927 – George Bauld Oland and his father George Woodhouse Culverwell Oland buy Ready Beverages Limited, the company that made Moosehead Beer. Geoffrey Oland takes over as President

 

1933 – George Woodhouse Culverwell Oland dies

 

1938 – Sidney C. Oland is President of Oland and Son Limited and a member of the Board of Directors of Red Ball Brewery

 

1945 – Sidney C. Oland’s sons Bruce and Don are elected to the Board of Directors of Oland and Son

 

1947 – Company headquarters are relocated to Keith Hall and Ready Beverages Limited is renamed Moosehead Breweries Limited

 

1958 – Oland and Son purchase Red Ball Brewery from Geoffrey Oland

 

1962 – The Board of Directors of Oland and Son is restructured again. Sidney C. Oland is elected Chairman of the Board, Victor DeBedia Oland is elected President and General Manager, Bruce Oland is elected Vice-President, Production, Don Oland is elected Vice-President, Administration, and Norman Stanbury is elected Secretary-Treasurer

 

1963 – Oland’s Brewers Grain and Yeast opens its grain drying and processing plant.

 

1964 – Red Ball Brewery is renamed Olands Brewery Limited

 

1968 – Victor Oland resigns as President of Oland and Son Limited and becomes the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. The Board of Directors was restructured again and Sidney Oland was elected President, Bruce Oland was elected Executive Vice-President, Don Oland was elected Senior Vice-President, Robert T. Merchant was elected Vice-President, David F. Oland was appointed Sales Manager, and Robert Mussett was appointed Junior Vice-President, Public Relations

 

1969 – Sidney C. Oland passes presidency of the company to Bruce Oland

 

1971 – Oland and Son Limited sells its brewing assets to John Labatt Limited for approximately $12 million dollars. Oland’s Breweries (1971) Limited was established to run the breweries and Oland and Son Limited changed its name to Lindwood Holdings. Bruce Oland is President of both companies and Victor Oland’s sons Peter and Sidney are executives of Oland’s Breweries (1971) Limited

 

1973 – W. K. Johnston becomes President of Oland Breweries (1971) Limited. This is the first time in almost 70 years that an Oland company is operated by a non-Oland.

 

1975 – Sidney C. Oland dies

 

1979 – Sidney M. Oland, the grandson of Colonel Sidney C. Oland, becomes President of Labatt Brewing Company Limited