Molson Brewery (Edmonton)
Edmonton brewery operated 1913–2007, later became Brewery District.
The Molson Brewery in Edmonton, Alberta, operated from 1913 until it shut down in 2007. The building was constructed that year for William Henry Sheppard, a former Strathcona mayor, hotelier, and businessman, who had bought land in Groat Estates to grow his brewery. Chicago architect Bernard Barthel, known for designing breweries that echoed German castles, created the plans. Construction cost $250,000 (about $6.9 million in 2025). Fritz Sick of Lethbridge bought the brewery in 1927, and Molson acquired it in 1958. In 1961, a decorative building styled like a fur trade fort—called Molson House—was built in front as a hospitality lounge. After Molson-Coors offered to give it away in April 2008 to anyone who would move it, an anonymous Edmonton family bought and relocated it in 2011. The brewery closed in August 2007 due to a worker strike, a consumer shift from bottled to canned beer, and the loss of a contract to brew Foster’s Group brands, laying off 136 people. The site later became the Edmonton Brewery District, blending residential, retail, and commercial spaces with the old brewery.
Quick Facts
- Architectural Style
- Gothic Revival
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
- Location Country
- Canada
- Architect
- Bernard Barthel
- Completion Date
- 1913
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The building was constructed in 1913 by local hotelier, politician and businessman William Henry Sheppard, a former mayor of Strathcona, after he purchased land in Groat Estates to expand his brewery company. Chicago architect Bernard Barthel, known for designing breweries modeled on the castles of his German homeland, was hired to design the structure. The building cost CA$250,000 (equivalent to $6.9 million in 2025) to build.
The brewery was sold to Fritz Sick of Lethbridge in 1927, and later acquired by Molson in 1958. In 1961, the company built a decorative building meant to resemble a fur trade fort in front of the brewery. Named Molson House, it served as a hospitality lounge to entertain customers. In April 2008, Molson-Coors offered to give the building away to any organization that would pay to move it; it was dismantled and moved in 2011 after being bought by an anonymous Edmonton family.
Molson closed the brewery in August 2007 due to an ongoing worker's strike, a shift in consumer preferences from bottled to canned beer, and the company's loss of a contract to brew the Foster's Group brand. As a result, 136 people were laid off. The site was later redeveloped as the Edmonton Brewery District, integrating the former brewery with residential, retail and commercial space.
Reader's Guide
The Molson Brewery in Edmonton served as a major commercial brewery for Alberta for nearly a century, from 1913 to 2007. Its significance lies in its long operational history and its role in the regional beer market, as well as its distinctive architectural design by Bernard Barthel, who modeled it on German castles. The brewery's closure in 2007 was driven by multiple factors: an ongoing worker's strike, changing consumer preferences from bottled to canned beer, and the loss of a contract to brew Foster's Group brand. This closure resulted in 136 layoffs. The legacy of the site continued through its redevelopment into the Edmonton Brewery District, which integrated the former brewery with residential, retail, and commercial spaces. Additionally, the decorative Molson House building, built in 1961 to resemble a fur trade fort, was preserved by being dismantled and moved in 2011 by an anonymous Edmonton family, ensuring a piece of the brewery's history was saved.
Did You Know?
- The brewery building was designed by Chicago architect Bernard Barthel, who modeled it on German castles.
- Molson House, a decorative building resembling a fur trade fort, was built in 1961 and moved in 2011.
- The brewery closed in August 2007 due to a strike, shift to canned beer, and loss of a Foster's contract.
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