John Molson was an extraordinarily successful entrepreneur with a keen sense of social responsibility.In 1786, John Molson founded what is today Canada's most successful brewery and several years later built the first entirely Canadian-made steamboat. He went on to build a fleet of 22 steamboats, one of which was the first to be used in the conduct of war.
Mr. Molson also opened Canada's first industrial grain-distillery, which remained the largest in Canada until its closure in 1866 and this paved the way for his becoming the first exporter of Canadian-made spirits to England.
While an astute businessman, John Molson was also driven by a strong sense of community commitment. He was the driving force among a group of private citizens who founded Montreal's first public hospital, Montreal General Hospital. He was also a major shareholder in the private company that built Montreal's first permanent theatre, Theatre Royal.
Before his death at 72 years of age, John Molson became a major investor in Canada's first railroad for which construction began in 1836.
