Toronto brewer Eugene O’Keefe brewed great beer
On My Thanksgiving Walk: Eugene O’Keefe – Brewer, Benefactor, Builder of Churches
St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery, Deer Park, Toronto
On my Thanksgiving walk through the peaceful Deer Park neighbourhood in midtown Toronto, I discovered a hidden gem rarely open to the public: St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery, quietly nestled off Yonge Street. Open only on statutory holidays, the gates welcomed me to the final resting place of one of Toronto’s most influential brewers and philanthropists — Eugene O’Keefe.
In the early 1870s, O’Keefe and his partners purchased the Victoria Brewery, located at the southwest corner of Gould and Victoria Streets. A forward thinker, Eugene made a bold suggestion that would change Toronto’s brewing landscape: the introduction of lager, a then-unfamiliar style of beer. It was a gamble — but a successful one. Lager would soon become one of Toronto’s most popular beer varieties.
But O’Keefe’s legacy extends far beyond hops and barrels.
1950’s O’Keefe Extra Old Stock Ale from my personal collection.
After the tragic death of his only son in 1911, a heartbroken Eugene gradually stepped back from the brewing business. In his grief, he turned toward his Catholic faith — and used his considerable fortune to support religious and charitable causes throughout the city.
In 1907, as a tribute to his late wife, he funded the construction of St. Monica’s Church near Yonge and Eglinton. Four years later, he purchased the West Presbyterian Church on Denison Avenue and gifted it to newly arrived Polish immigrants, who renamed it St. Stanislaus Kostka Church.
But his most lasting and ambitious legacy stands tall on the Scarborough Bluffs: St. Augustine’s Seminary, which opened in August 1913. Designed to train future generations of Catholic clergy, the seminary remains one of Canada’s most significant religious institutions.
Eugene O’Keefe died on Oct. 1, 1913. He was 85.
1827-1913
St. Monica’s Parish Church funded by O’Keefe to honour his wife, Helen.
Catholic Churches and Seminaries funded by Eugene O’Keefe. St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish and St. Augustine’s Seminary on the Scarborough Bluffs, Toronto.
Eugene O’Keefe’s home still standing at the corner of Bond and Gould Sts.
From one brewer to another. The sad story of George Labatt. Grandson of the founder, John Kinder Labatt.
