At the end of the nineteenth century a farmer discovered that an area of his land had water naturally seeping to the surface. When he tasted the water, he discovered it had a unique taste that gained local acclaim.
That spring and the land surrounding it were purchased by Leo Dandurand and his business partners, and operated as the Montclair Water Company. M. Dandurand was a well-known Quebec businessman (owner of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1920’s, founder of the Montreal Alouettes and a Director of the Montreal Royals, among other accomplishments) who had been traveling to Europe and had visited several spas, and he intended to build a hotel and spa on the site.
The brand changed hands several time throughout the 20th century, including being owned by Allan Beverages from the 1940’s through to the 1970’s when it was first purchased by Nestlé.
M. Dandurand’s spa hotel was never built, and the original spring was damaged during the construction of a highway in the Eastern Townships, but the Montclair brand name has lived on as a uniquely Canadian offering.
Montclair has since become a very exclusive spring water brand, available primarily in restaurants and at select retailers across Canada.