Ideas and innovation flourish in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Where Ontario began Some of the best cheese in the world is Not only are Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Counties (SDG Counties) home to some of Canada’s earliest settlements; they’ve also been a remarkable innovation hub for almost two centuries, ever since the Loyalists arrived in the area. In sectors such as agriculture, agri-food, manufacturing and more, discoveries, inventions and products made here are known around the world. The Lactalis plant in Winchester, North Dundas, is Canada’s largest cheese making facility, employing over 400 people to manufacture products under the Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson brands, to name just a few. Muir’s Bakery in North Glengarry is Ontario and Western Quebec’s source of quality haggis and Scottish meat pies. The almost 100 year old business is located in Maxville, home of the largest annual Highland Games gathering in North America. North Dundas’ Fortier Stark Industrial fabricates stainless steel manufacturing facilities for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. There are only a handful of such businesses in North America so Fortier Stark is filling a niche market at home and around the world. Dr. Mahlon W. Locke (1880-1942) Credited as the father of Chiropractic medicine, this South Dundas native was a foot specialist who diversified his Williamsburg, ON practice. With a world-wide reputation for results, he treated hundreds of patients daily, helping bring significant prosperity to the region.
made in Lancaster, South Glengarry at Margaret Peters-Morris’ Glengarry Fine Cheese. This small operation regularly wins top global cheese awards, recently garnering 5 gold medals for its exceptional products. It also serves as a stellar ambassador for SDG Counties’ thriving dairy sector.
From its tiny roots in Canada’s North, South Stormont’s Igloo Building Supplies has evolved into a major supplier of prefabricated housing components delivered worldwide. They’re a one-stop-shop – creating, packaging, and shipping worldwide over highways, ice roads, and oceans. At Newbrabant Farms in South Glengarry, dairy farmers Peter Sommers and Melanie Trottier completed an extensive $7-million expansion that includes two new barns, an innovative sand-manure separator and the largest rotary parlour in Ontario with capacity to milk up to 1,400 cows.
South Stormont is home to Wills Transfer’s new $25 million distribution centre in Ingleside. The 155,000 square foot warehouse in a prime location on Highway 401 is already set for expansion. It’s another success story for a firm that’s been a leader in logistics since 1945.
Sometimes called the national fruit of Canada, the McIntosh apple was discovered in South Dundas in 1811 by farmer John McIntosh, who found seedlings while clearing his land. Since the 1880s, the McIntosh has consistently remained one of the top 10 apples sold in North America. In North Stormont, Moose Creek Precast is a family-owned and operated precast concrete company. Founded in 1950, it’s one of Eastern Ontario’s oldest precast companies, offering a wide range of top quality concrete products and precast concrete supplies across the region.
For more information visit www.madeinsdg.ca and youtube.com/@MadeInSDG and facebook.com/SDGCounties