Top 10 Oldest Canadian Companies

Canada has the oldest companies that are still running almost 400 years later. Many of their priorities have changed, but are still operated under the same name.

 

1. Hudson Bay Company:

Date: 1670

Description: This is the oldest commercial business in North America, still running. We see many department stores around Canada, which are run in the same name: The Bay. The corporation was initially set up to trade fur in a cost effective way by setting up a trading post on the Hudson Bay.

 

2. Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph:

Date: 1764

Description: This is the oldest newspaper in North America. It is a bilingual paper written in French and English. As of 2008, the newspaper can be viewed on Google Archives.

 

3. Montreal Gazette:

Date: 1778

Description: It began in 1778 as a French Newspaper in Montreal. It eventually evolved into a dual language (French and English newspaper) and is presently written in English only. It is more popularly known as The Gazette.

 

4. Molson:

Date: 1786

Description: Those who love beer know what Molson is famous for. Molson is the division of the 5th largest brewing company in the world: the Molson Coors Brewing Company. It still makes beer in the original location in Montreal.

 

5. Bank of Montreal:

Date: 1817

Description: This is one of the largest and is the oldest bank in Canada. The bank now has more than 900 locations and is ranked 4th in terms of its deposits.

 

6. Little Inn:

Date: 1832

Description: Located in Bayfield, Ontario, this is the oldest hotel in Canada. The hotel and accommodations are located on Lake Huron and are a traditional holiday destination for travellers.

 

7. Scotia Bank:

Date: 1832

Description: This is the 3rd largest bank in Canada ranked by its deposits and market capitalization. Originally its headquarters were in Nova Scotia, but moved to Toronto in 1900.

 

8. Kingston Whig-Standard

Date: 1834

Description: Owned by Sun Media, the newspaper is published every day except Sunday. It features local, national and international news in its reports.

 

9. Sleeman’s:

Date: 1834

Description: Located in Guelph, Ontario, it is a brewing company that was begun by John Sleeman. In 1933, their liquor license was revoked for stealing, and not renewed until 1988. The products are still made with original recipes that date back to 1834.

 

10. Lovell:

 

Date: 1835

Description: This is a publishing company located in Montreal, QC. The company was the first to bring in and utilize a stream powered cylinder printing press. It is currently run by Renee Lou and Stephen Lovell, 5th generations.

 

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