'Here's to alcohol!: The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.' -Homer Simpson
Just because it didn't happen, doesn't mean that it isn't true. This may be my first Legend vs.Fact story. I feel there is enough evidence to convince me that there may be a small electric train that moved large volumes of beer back and forth, underneath their large warehouse. As well as a tunnel moving their product from the brewery to the warehouse.
Now enjoy 100 YEARS of history leading up to this Beer Train! Ok. In quick point form to help flush out the story.
- 1865, Henry Brading (33), an Englishman, settled and opened a brewery. The Union Brewery was located at 451 Wellington St.
-1903, Brading passed away and Brading Breweries Ltd was left in control to Charles Magee and his family.
-1930, Magee passed control to his grandson, Edward Plunkett Taylor. During the depression, Taylor bought up dozens of small Ontario breweries. The conglomerate became Canadian Breweries Ltd., later known as Carling O'Keefe.
1945, the company expanded and announced a $200,000 purchase of the International Marine Signal Building across Wellington, and thought by some to be the longest building in the British Empire.
Top right looking east, you can see the brown building, being the O'Keefe Brewery. Across the street (to the left) a smaller white building will be seen. This would be the west end of the warehouse. This picture was taken at the Ottawa-West Roundhouse! Guessing mid 1960's?
Fast forward to 2012, where the news of the tunnel surfaced. An anonymous city employee retold the story of finding the hidden pathway while investigating a water main break north of Albert Street 24 years earlier.
During research, I was able to find a video showing a Fire Insurance Map of this area at this time, and indeed shows a concrete tunnel running from O'Keefe Brewery to the warehouse across Wellington Street. Now is currently named Albert Street.
Andrew King (Ottawa Rewind) in 2014 tipped off The City of Ottawa, The Museum of Science and Technology and The Ottawa Citizen about the proximity to ongoing Albert Street reconstruction. As for at least The City of Ottawa, Andrew King did not hear back from them. Then finally on the morning of July 2nd, contractors broke in to the cross tunnel.
Tunnel as crews rip off the ceiling.
Inside looking south, towards Walnut Court, sloping down and filled with water.
This the view facing north at the warehouse tunnel entrance, where it had already been bricked up.
As to where the cache is located, it is a bit east of the tunnel (as seen above) and would be inside the warehouse. This rectangular patch of gravel and debris would be directly behind the warehouse and has remained here since the 1980's. Not sure if this is related to the warehouse tunnel or not. The NCC owned this land, after the building was demolished.
Now you can decide for yourself!