O'Keefe's Beer Ads, 1940s-1960s (Ottawa Era)

October 04, 2025

O'Keefe's Beer Ads, 1940s-1960s (Ottawa Era)

O'Keefe's beer was brewed in Ottawa from the mid-to-late 1940s until 1969.

This collection of O'Keefe's ads covering the Ottawa era is an accoutrement to my new / upcoming article, "Brading's Brewery (Ottawa), Part 3: 20th Century & Beer Train Tunnel".

(I've also thrown in a few Ottawa-specific photos and newspaper clippings from the time period.)

Enjoy!

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1944-03-01]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1945-06-01]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1948-08-01]

O'Keefe's ad. [March 15, 1949]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1950-04-01]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1950-08-01]

O’Keefe’s Ontario Breweries, ca. 1950. [Via brewerianacollectors.ca]

Corresponding numbers for above image, per brewerianacollectors.ca;

1) O’Keefe’s Ale Brewery – 286 Simcoe St., Toronto.
2) O’Keefe’s Ottawa Brewery – 451 Wellington St., Ottawa.
3) O’Keefe’s Walkerville Brewery – 790 Walker Rd., Windsor.
4) O’Keefe’s West Brewery – 293 Niagara St., Toronto.
5) O’Keefe’s Brewery (Main Plant) – 297 Victoria St., Toronto.

All five breweries have since been demolished.

Zoom in: O’Keefe’s Ottawa Brewery, 451 Wellington St. (ca. 1950) – previous/original location of Ottawa's Brading Breweries. [Via brewerianacollectors.ca]

"Collector bottles of brands made in Ottawa area." [Ottawa Citizen – Aug. 29 1987]

O'Keefe's ad. [Aug. 1, 1951]

O'Keefe's ad. [May 1, 1953]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1954-05-01]

Ottawa Citizen – Sept. 13, 1956

In 1956, O'Keefe's moved from 451 Wellington St. (in present-day Park of the Provinces, near Pooley's Bridge) to 840 Wellington St. (present-day SW corner of Albert and Preston Streets, on the southern edge of Lebreton Flats). From 1944 this had been the Brading's-Capital Brewery plant – production of Brading's beer was consequently transferred from Ottawa to other Ontario plants.

Roundhouse, looking east, between 1956 to (approx.) 1965. O'Keefe Brewery top centre-right, SW corner of (present-day) Albert & Preston Streets. [Photo via Kitchissippi Times]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1956-12-08]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1957-11-23]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1958-07-19]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1958-05-24]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1958-06-07]

"More people tear the labels off Old Vienna than any other lager." [April 25, 1959]

"More people nibble cheese and crackers with Old Vienna than with any other lager." [June 20, 1959]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1960-05-21]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1961-07-29]

O'Keefe's ad. [Maclean's Magazine – 1962-04-07]

Aerial view of Ottawa's Lebreton Flats, viewing south-westerly, 1962. O'Keefe's plant & warehouse / shipping building (at present-day intersection of Albert & Preston Streets) centre-left.

Zoom in: O'Keefe's plant & warehouse / shipping building (at present-day intersection of Albert & Preston Streets), 1962.

Ottawa Citizen – Dec. 13, 1962

Ottawa Citizen – Dec. 13, 1962 (con't)

Below: short video showing Ottawa O'Keefe Brewery from Lebreton Flats train yard, 1965 (or 1966). (Folks familiar with Ottawa will recognize the City Centre building, which still stands today.)