Lake of the Woods Milling Company
Encyclopedia
The Lake of the Woods Milling Company Limited was started May 21, 1887 to take advantage of the new railway and western grain production.
Formed by a team from the board of Canadian Pacific Railway
, including George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen
, William Cornelius Van Horne
and James Ross
, the headquarters were in Montreal
, while the milling operations were based in Keewatin, Ontario. The location provided transportation via the CPR, access to raw product, and water-power from the Winnipeg River
.
The first mill was completed in 1888 with vice-president John Mather
overseeing construction. It had a capacity of 140,000 bushels and a daily production capacity of 800 barrels of flour. The flour was marketed under the name Five Roses
, which became a world famous brand. In 1913, Lake of the Woods released the first edition of the Five Roses Cook Book, which is still in production to this day.
The mill operated in Keewatin for 79 years, closing in 1967. At the height of its production, it was possibly the largest flour mill in the British Commonwealth.
Formed by a team from the board of Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, including George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen
George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen
George Stephen, 1st Baron of Mount Stephen , known as Sir Stephen, between 1778 and 1891.-Canadian Pacific Railway syndicate:...
, William Cornelius Van Horne
William Cornelius Van Horne
Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, KCMG was a pioneering Canadian railway executive.-Life and career:Born in 1843 in rural Illinois, he moved with his family to Joliet, Illinois when he was eight years old...
and James Ross
James Ross (Canadian businessman)
James L. Ross , was a Scottish-born Canadian civil engineer and businessman, who developed his fortune in railway construction.-Early life:...
, the headquarters were in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, while the milling operations were based in Keewatin, Ontario. The location provided transportation via the CPR, access to raw product, and water-power from the Winnipeg River
Winnipeg River
The Winnipeg River is a Canadian river which flows from Lake of the Woods in the province of Ontario to Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. This river is long from the Norman Dam in Kenora to its mouth at Lake Winnipeg. Its watershed is in area, mainly in Canada. About of this area is in northern...
.
The first mill was completed in 1888 with vice-president John Mather
John Mather (businessman)
John Mather was born in Scotland and became a prominent Canadian figure in the development of the District of Keewatin in Northwestern Ontario.Mather was heavily involved in the lumber industry at Rat Portage in the 1880s...
overseeing construction. It had a capacity of 140,000 bushels and a daily production capacity of 800 barrels of flour. The flour was marketed under the name Five Roses
Five Roses Flour
Five Rose Flour is a Canadian brand of flour originally owned and established by the Lake of the Woods Milling Company in 1888. In 1954, the Five Roses brand with the Lake of the Woods Milling Company were taken over by Ogilvie Flour Mills....
, which became a world famous brand. In 1913, Lake of the Woods released the first edition of the Five Roses Cook Book, which is still in production to this day.
The mill operated in Keewatin for 79 years, closing in 1967. At the height of its production, it was possibly the largest flour mill in the British Commonwealth.