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Site Record
Metadata
Site Name |
Port Elgin Dairy & Creamery |
Site# |
106 |
Description |
Port Elgin Dairy & Creamery began in 1885, known as "Robertson's Dairy" at the farm on Block 139 between Green and Gustavus Streets. On May 1, 1933, Stewart McKenzie of Meaford, an inspector with the Department of Agriculture, went to Port Elgin to approve the new Port Elgin Dairy & Creamery on Market Street that was owned by A.J. Marshall of Boston. After McKenzie's approval, the new creamery officially opened in September of the same year. Equipment was both old and new, with some coming from the old Underwood Creamery. A 100 foot well was quickly drilled in 1934. Expansion continued through the 1930s with several additions, including a milk pasteurizer and dairy bar in 1936 and locker storage and egg grading station in 1938. Stewart McKenzie, who had initially approved the new creamery, purchased it from Robertson in 1943. The creamery became known as "McKenzie Dairy." McKenzie also owned three other dairies in Allenford, Southampton, and Tara. Throughout the years, McKenzie's Dairy became known for their standing offer of five cents for all the buttermilk you can drink. Customers would come from all over Bruce and Grey Counties to take advantage of this offer. Eventually the price of the offer rose to ten cents. However, by the 1950s the most popular product became butter, with the store motto becoming "Where they make that good butter." During the 1950s, the annual butter output was more than 400,000 pounds. This included butter sold on wagons in Hamilton, Thorold, and Welland. One of two McKenzie Dairy branch stores opened in 1968 in Owen Sound. Stewart McKenzie ran these as well, and by 1978 his son, Ian McKenzie was managing the store and dairy bar. While these underwent changes in appearance under Ian's management, the dairy products themselves stayed the same. Sources: Levie, Carmin J. "Reminiscences : Port Elgin Centennial 1874-1974." Port Elgin, Ont.: Port Elgin Rotary Club, 1974. Print. McLeod, Norman. "The History of the County of Bruce 1907-1968", vol 2, Bruce County Historical Society, 1969. Print. "'Where they make that good butter'" : MacKenzie Dairy now 35 years old", The Beacon Times, 1 November 1978, page 2A |
