The McLaughlin brothers and their incredible rise to business success
Reuniting the McLaughlin Brothers: A Walk Through Canadian Legacy
On my walk yesterday through Union Cemetery in Oshawa — and last fall at the historic St. James-the-Less Cemetery in Toronto — I quietly reunited two brothers whose contributions shaped Canada’s cultural and financial landscape: John L. McLaughlin, inventor of Canada Dry, and his younger brother R. Samuel McLaughlin, founder of General Motors Canada.
Born in the small village of Enniskillen, Ontario, with a population today of under 3,000, these two men charted remarkably different but equally impactful paths.
While Samuel transformed their father’s horse-drawn carriage business into what would become the largest manufacturer in the British Empire, eventually evolving into McLaughlin-Buick and later General Motors of Canada, his older brother John pursued pharmacy at the University of Toronto.
John developed a ginger ale formula — lighter and crisper than traditional versions — and named it “Canada Dry”, branding it as “The Champagne of Ginger Ales.” It would become a global beverage icon.
Both men found great success, but their enduring impact lies in their philanthropy. Through the McLaughlin Foundations, their wealth supported numerous Canadian institutions, including:
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McLaughlin Hall at Queen’s University
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McLaughlin Library at the University of Guelph
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McLaughlin Planetarium at the ROM (now inactive)
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Significant support for York University and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg
R. Samuel McLaughlin, awarded the Order of Canada and a legend in Canadian horse racing, lived to the remarkable age of 100, passing away in Oshawa on January 6, 1972.
His brother John L. McLaughlin, who sparked a soft drink revolution, died much younger — at 48 years old in Toronto on January 28, 1914.
Two brothers. One small Ontario village. A legacy still felt across the nation.
1871–1972.
I placed a bottle of Canada Dry on the gravesite of John L. McLaughlin.
The unique art deco mausoleum of Samuel McLaughlin near Oshawa, Ontario.
