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The Molson family of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was founded by John Molson, who immigrated to Canada in 1782 from his home in Lincolnshire, England. They are considered to be one of Canada's most prominent business families [1] with a combined net worth of C$1.75 billion. [2]
John Molson's success saw him and his offspring build Canada's largest brewery (Molson Brewery), finance its first steamboat and build the first railroad. His sons established Molson's Bank, which printed its own currency, and in the city of Montreal, which was overwhelmingly Catholic, they financed the construction of a Protestant church.
The three Molson family mausoleums, built by Irish-born architect George Browne, are among Mount Royal Cemetery's most prestigious funerary monuments. [3]
Hartland Molson, a businessman and statesman, expanded the family's brewing operations nationwide, co-purchased the Canadian Arena, which included the Montreal Forum and the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club (1957–1964), and co-sponsored Hockey Night in Canada with his brother, Thomas Henry Pentland Molson. He also served as a Governor of McGill University, and he was a senator for 38 years. [4]
As major contributors to the economy, Hartland Molson and his brother Thomas Henry Pentland Molson gave back by creating the Molson Foundation in 1958, which awarded annual grants for outstanding achievement in the arts by Canadian citizens (renamed the Molson Family Foundation in 1981). The Thomas Henry Pentland Molson Prize for the Arts is awarded by The Canada Council for the Arts annually to distinguished individuals in the arts and the social sciences and humanities, and is intended to encourage continuing contribution to the cultural and intellectual heritage of Canada. The Thomas Henry Pentland Prize for general excellence is awarded annually at Selwyn House School, which he attended in 1911. The Thomas Henry Pentland Molson Family Scholarship is awarded annually by the Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific.
William, Thomas and John Molson Jr. provided McGill University's first endowed chair, the Molson Chair in English Language and Literature, currently held by Maggie Kilgour. In addition, in 1860, William Molson donated Molson Hall, the west wing of the university's Arts Building. Later generations of the Molson family provided funds to expand the university's medical buildings, as well as a gift of land for the Redpath Library. The university's Percival Molson Memorial Stadium is named in honour of Percival Molson, who was killed during World War I and left $75,000 in his will to help pay most of the total costs of constructing the stadium.
In 2005, the Molson Family Foundation donated the Hartland Molson Hall at Bishop's College School and the building is named for Senator Hartland Molson, where many Molson family members attended school.
The Molson Family Foundation, together with several members of the family, contributed the major part of the funds required for the construction of the Molson Fine Arts Building at Bishop's University. The building bears witness to the interest of members of the Molson family in the welfare of Bishop's University, over a period of more than 60 years: Walter Molson, Trustee 1928–1951, John H. Molson, President of Corporation 1947–1966, J. David Molson, Trustee 1965–1968, William M. Molson, Trustee 1968–1976, Eric H. Molson, Trustee 1976–1984.
John Molson was an English-born brewer and entrepreneur in colonial Quebec, which during his lifetime became Lower Canada. In addition to founding Molson Brewery, he built the first steamship and the first public railway in Canada, was a president of the Bank of Montreal, and established a hospital, a hotel, and a theatre in Montreal. Molson was also the "leader" of the freemason's lodge of Montreal up to three years before his death, from 1826-1833. The dynasty he founded, the Molson family, is still a wealthy and powerful force in Canada.
The Molson Brewery is a Canadian-based brewery based in Montreal and was established in 1786 by the Molson family. In 2005, Molson merged with the Adolph Coors Company to become Molson Coors.
Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a 165-acre (67 ha) terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in the borough of Outremont in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Temple Emanu-El Cemetery, a Reform Judaism burial ground, is within the Mount Royal grounds. The burial ground shares the mountain with the much larger adjacent Roman Catholic cemetery, Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery, and the Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery, an Ashkenazi Jewish cemetery. Mount Royal Cemetery is bordered on the southeast by Mount Royal Park, on the west by Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, and on the north by Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery.
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Downtown Montreal, on the slopes of Mount Royal, in the borough of Ville-Marie. Named in honour of Percival Molson, and owned by McGill University, it was the home of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League from 1954 to 1967 and again since 1998. The stadium is also home to the McGill Redbirds and Martlets of the RSEQ, the Montreal Royal of the American Ultimate Disc League, the Selwyn House Gryphons high-school football team and the Canadian Corporate Soccer League, the largest amateur corporate league in Canada.
Hartland de Montarville Molson, was an Anglo-Quebecer statesman, Canadian senator, military aviator, and a member of the Molson family of brewers.
Captain Percival Talbot "Percy" Molson, MC was a Canadian star athlete and soldier. After an outstanding sports career with McGill University, Molson joined its administration. Molson died fighting in World War I. In his will, he donated funds for McGill to build its football stadium, named Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in his honour.
John David Molson was a Canadian businessman and sports executive. A member of the Molson family, he served as the president of the Montreal Canadiens for eight years.
The Montreal General Hospital (MGH) is a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada established in the years 1818–1820. The hospital received its charter in 1823. It is currently part of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and is located on Mount Royal, at the intersection of Pine Avenue and Côte-des-Neiges Road. It has six pavilions: A, B, C, D, E and Livingston (L); plus a research centre in a separate building next to the L pavilion.
McGill University is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter, the university bears the name of James McGill, a Scottish merchant whose bequest in 1813 established the University of McGill College. In 1885, the name was officially changed to McGill University.
The 1965 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1964–65 season, and the culmination of the 1965 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens won the best-of-seven series, four games to three, to win the Stanley Cup. The seventh and final game of this series marked the first time that any NHL competition had taken place during the month of May, and at the time it was the latest finishing date for an NHL season.
Bishop's College School or BCS is an English-language non-profit independent boarding prep school in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada for students in Grades 7 to 12. Founded in 1836, BCS is the fifth oldest private school in Canada. BCS has the highest endowment per student of any independent school in Canada. Seven BCS people have been named Rhodes Scholars. A royal charter was granted in 1853 from Queen Victoria for Bishop's College when BCS was the constituent junior division. The school was recognized as the "Eton of Canada" initially by the first Governor General of Canada, Lord Monck on a visit in 1864. It locates at the heart the historic Eastern Townships and near New England. The school is recognized as a Quebec cultural heritage site in the Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec.
Hartland Brydges MacDougall was a Canadian ice hockey player and businessman. MacDougall was generally regarded as one of the most versatile players of the pre-NHL era of the sport. He initially played the position of goaltender but ended his career playing point. After hockey, he became a stockbroker and was one of the partners of MacDougall, MacDougall and MacTier, a prominent investment firm in Montreal. In 1976 he was made an honoured member of the Canada Sports Hall of Fame.
Harry Markland Molson was a Canadian politician and entrepreneur. A member of the Molson family, he was Mayor of Dorval, Quebec. He died in the sinking in the sinking of RMS Titanic in April 1912
Colonel Herbert Molson was a Canadian politician, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a former owner of Molson Brewery and a member of the Molson family.
Thomas Molson was a Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist, co-founder of Molson Distillery and member of the Molson family.
Eric Herbert Molson is a Canadian billionaire businessman. He is the former Chairman of Molson Coors and former Chancellor of Concordia University. He is a member of the Molson family.
Andrew Thomas Molson is a Canadian businessman born in 1967 in Montreal. He is the eldest son of Eric Molson and the brother of Justin Molson and Geoff Molson. He is a member of the Molson family.