Thomas Lang Moffat Jr. Moffat Stoves

On my enjoyable spring walk through Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, I came across the grave of the Moffat family—pioneers behind one of Canada’s most trusted appliance brands, Moffat Appliances. If you’ve ever used a Moffat stove at home or at the cottage, you’ve experienced a piece of this remarkable legacy.

The story begins with Thomas Lang Moffat Sr., who immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1871 in search of better opportunities. By 1882, the Moffats had settled in Markdale, Ontario (just north of Flesherton), where they founded T.L. Moffatt & Sons, manufacturing plows, pulleys, and mill machinery.

But everything changed in the early 1890s when the Moffat sons showcased one of their new domestic stoves at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). The innovative stove drew serious attention—so much so that several prominent Toronto families saw great potential in the design and helped finance the Moffats’ expansion.

Soon, a sprawling factory was built in Weston, Ontario (near Denison Ave. & Jane St.), close to the growing Toronto market. This facility would become a global leader in stove manufacturing, placing the Moffat name in homes across Canada and beyond.

Thomas Lang Moffat Jr. eventually took over the family business and led it through years of growth and innovation, before selling it in 1953 to Avco Manufacturing Corporation of Greenwich, Connecticut.

From humble agricultural roots to a household name, the Moffat legacy lives on every time someone turns on a stove that bears their name.

Thomas Lang Jr. died in Toronto on November 22, 1960. He was 98.

Footnote, the well known Moffat factory in Weston near the old Kodak plant, is now a sprawling grocery store.

1862-1960