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Business & Economics Corporate & Business History

Redpath

The History of a Sugar House

by (author) Richard Feltoe

Publisher
Dundurn Press
Initial publish date
Aug 1991
Category
Corporate & Business History, Social History, General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780920474679
    Publish Date
    Aug 1991
    List Price
    $24.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781459720664
    Publish Date
    Aug 1991
    List Price
    $8.99

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Description

Redpath, today a household name for sugar in Canada, has its roots in the story of an enterprising Scots immigrant, initially a stone mason and later a building contractor during the boom days of Montreal’s growth from a small provincial centre to a major North American city. In 1854, the ever-energetic John Redpath, by then a self-made millionaire in his late fifties, launched a new career as an industrialist. With his son, Peter, and the gifted George Alexander Drummond as manager, he established Canada’s first successful sugar refinery.

The Redpath story encompasses the influence of sugar as an economic force, the emergence of the elegant social life of cosmopolitan Montreal and a hind-sight view of the complexities of the love-hate relationship between government and business.

This, the first of two volumes, moves through Canada’s period of extensive industrialization to the turn of the century, the impact of World War I and concludes in the post-war years. Throughout this period, the familiar Redpath trademark, a reproduction of John Redpath’s signature, is a reminder of the heritage inherent in Canada’s business and social history.

About the author

Richard Feltoe was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and holds a degree in economics from the University of London. He is the curator and corporate archivist for the Redpath Sugar Museum and is active as a living history reenactor, portraying the life of a Canadian militia soldier from the Incorporated Militia of Upper Canada regiment in the War of 1812-1815. His other publications include Redcoated Ploughboys. He lives in Brampton, Ontario.

Richard Feltoe's profile page