Parks Canada teams up with craft brewery in Bobcaygeon

KAWARTHA LAKES-A new craft brewery is on tap for the Old Bobcaygeon Post Office. Parks Canada announced today it was entering into a lease and profit sharing agreement with Bobcaygeon Brewing Company.

The brewery has signed a lease to take over the former post office located on the Parks Canada property at Lock 32 in Bobcaygeon. Co-founder Richard Wood says they are excited about the new venture. ” It’s great, it’s always been our goal to build our brewery her obviously being Bobcaygeon Brewing Company and we are excited we are able to make that happen together with Parks Canada.”

Officials with Parks Canada told Kawartha 411 a Request For Proposals went out about a year and half ago. Two proposals were received and were evaluated and scored by an independent team with Bobcaygeon Brewing coming out on top. “It’s taken us a while to get to the end of this, but these guys had a very good business plan, good insight into what it’s going to take to make this successful” Lance Sherk,Business Development Advisor, Trent Severn Waterway said. “They certainly know the market here in Bobcaygeon, so we are very excited.”

Sherk says the lease includes a base rent with Parks Canada also getting a percentage of gross sales on top of that. “The Business Development Unit is looking for ways to encourage the financial sustainability of the waterways and this building was basically being rented out for $100 a year and we were looking to improve on that.” he commented. “Our revenue grows as business grows”

Jewel Cunningham, Director Ontario Waterways for Parks Canada says this is the first partnership of it’s kind for the Crown Corporation.

Wood hopes to start renovations in the fall and have the beer flowing in the first half of 2018. The brewery currently brews its suds on contract at Big Rig Brewery in Ottawa. They have three beers available, Common Loon, Dockside Red Ale and Sunset Golden Ale. The Dockside recently won a gold medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards. Wood wouldn’t comment on how much they are investing in the project.

“It’s nice for Parks Canada to be supporting young entrepreneurs.” Sherk says.”I think these guys will add a lot to this community and I think this community will give a lot back to them.”