1891
Operations are moved into the old and abandoned Williams Brewery building, referred to as the “Old Brewery”.
Emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Men: 514-798-2244 | Women: 514-526-6446
135 Years of History!
Since 1889, the Old Brewery Mission has been working to break the cycle of homelessness.
You have to believe it to see it...
Our Story
In the winter of 1889-1890, Montrealers Mina Douglas and Eva Findlay opened the soup kitchen that would become the Old Brewery Mission. It underwent its first transformation in the 1920s, when it became a shelter for men experiencing homelessness. Since then, the Old Brewery Mission has never stopped evolving.
1908
Act to incorporate the organization as a corporate entity is passed by the Quebec legislature.
1942
New sleeping quarters opened on l’Inspecteur Street.
1954
The biggest Christmas dinner in the Old Brewery Mission history is served to 1,080 people.
1968
The Old Brewery Mission is moved from l’Inspector Street to 915 Clark Street.
1998
Board member Don Mackenzie acquires a building to host women experiencing homelessness. The Patricia Mackenzie Pavilion, named in honour of his wife, opens with a 30-bed capacity.
2006
Marcelle and Jean Coutu Pavilion opens with 30 self-contained apartment units.
In October, the Clark Street space was renamed Webster Pavilion in honor of the family's support of the same name.
Old Brewery Mission Foundation is established to help raise funds beyond government contributions.
2009
Quebec government commits to covering half the cost of the Old Brewery Mission emergency services.
2010
Thanks to a substantial donation from Lise Watier, the Old Brewery Mission opens the Lise Watier Pavilion, a 29-unit apartment building for women formerly experiencing homelessness.
2012
Opening of the Café Mission, a day drop-in centre, representing the new face of the organization.
2013
Launch of the PRISM-Cogeco homelessness and mental health reaffiliation project.
2014
Start of the Pause-Santé program, which treats people experiencing homelessness with hepatitis C. Its services include Le Pont, which provides subsidized rental housing.
2015
Implementation of the La Traversée Grace Dart Foundation program for the elderly.
2018
Opening of the Voisines de Lanaudière women's housing relay units.
2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, an isolation zone for people experiencing homelessness infected with the virus is set up by the Old Brewery Mission.
2021
Creation of a prevention service and The Québec Homelessness Prevention Policy Collaborative.
2022
Opening of the Voisines de Lartigue, a rehousing pavilion for women.
2023
Opening of the Résidence Bash Shetty, a rehousing pavilion for men.
Launch of the mobile clinic powered by TELUS Health, which reaches out to people experiencing homelessness directly in the public space.
2024
The Old Brewery Mission marks the end of dormitories in its emergency services with the renovation of all five floors of the Webster Pavilion.
The End of Dormitories
The Old Brewery Mission turns 135 this fall and it is celebrating the milestone by inaugurating new living spaces at its men’s shelter, completing the phase-out of dormitories at all its facilities.
135 years in pictures
1935, Coursol Street, in Montreal's Little Burgundy district, a line forms in front of the former West End Methodist Church, used for many years by the Old Brewery Mission as a soup kitchen.
Bill McCarthy, in the former dormitories of the Old Brewery Mission in 1982. A priest and respected leader of the organization, he worked alongside the residents for many years.
Inaugurated in 2012, the Café Mission Keurig drop-in center is renowned for welcoming vulnerable people during extreme cold and heat. Its visitors as access to showers, laundry facilities and Internet access. Snacks and coffee are available daily.
In 1942, new dormitories are opened on rue de l'Inspecteur in Montreal.
Jack McConica, the Old Brewery Mission first superintendent.
Christmas feast, 1950. The largest single meal in Old Brewery Mission history took place a few years later, in the winter of 1954, when a record 1,080 people were served.
Photo by Patricia Mackenzie. A new women's pavilion was created in her name in 1998. Her husband, financier Don Mackenzie, led the campaign to build the facility.
The Old Brewery Mission, located on Craig Street in Montreal in 1898.
The entrance to the Old Brewery Mission on l'Inspecteur Street in Montreal, 1960.
In 2007, the ArtduCommun collective designed a mural covering the north facade of the Webster Pavilion for Men. The work was commissioned by the City of Montreal to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Expo 67.
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We’re calling on you and your generosity to help us maintain our current programs and broaden our range of services.