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Archive record · Brewery

Severn Brewery / Yorkville Brewery

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

ClosedOwnership unknownMicrobrewery
Founded
Not recorded
Closed
Year unknown
Archive ID
TB-E80ESERJ
Last checked
2026-09-08

Who owns this brewery?

George Severn

Named in dated ownership records. No parent company is held, and each owner's sources are shown below.

01

From the record

Summary

Status: CLOSED. Address: East side of Yonge Street near Davenport Road, Yorkville; brewery occupied several acres beside Castle Frank/Severn Creek. Pass 101 canonicalizes the Severn/Yorkville Brewery from City of Toronto heritage evidence. John Severn purchased an existing brewery on the site in 1835; the brewery is mapped there in 1884. TRCA and Toronto historical sources say George Severn inherited the business after John's 1880 death and it closed a few years later, commonly dated to about 1886. Exact legal dissolution remains NOT YET. [Canada Pass 101]

A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.

Ownership & corporate history

  1. Owned by John Severn1835 – 1880

    Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.

    What the sources say

    Purchased existing brewery in 1835 and developed it into major Yorkville brewery. Source: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2023/pb/bgrd/backgroundfile-234549.pdf

  2. Owned by George Severn1880

    Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.

    What the sources say

    Inherited brewery after John Severn's death; company closed a few years later. Source: https://trca.ca/news/what-was-brewery-creek/

Ownership history is kept as dated events, so a change of owner never overwrites the one before it.

03

The People

Behind the beer

John Severn
Owner / brewer

George Severn
Successor owner

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