The history of the dairy

Founded by Arthur Bédard, Arthur St-Cyr and Henri Gérin, Laiterie de Coaticook Ltée specialises in pasteurised dairy products. It produces milk, chocolate milk and cream. The main activities consisted of bottling and distributing milk using horse-drawn carts.

Mr Bédard bought the shares of his two partners and ran the business with his sons. As well as bottling and distributing milk, they added ice cream and cheddar cheese: products that immediately won over the public.

To stimulate the dairy industry in Quebec, the government at the time implemented new centralisation policies. This led to the creation of large cooperatives. The Société de Placement de Coaticook (a group of Coaticook citizens) acquired Laiterie Coaticook Ltée. The company underwent a reorientation and reorganisation.

In 1976, Fernand Houle and Émile Provencher became the new owners. Laiterie de Coaticook Ltée stopped distributing milk, chocolate milk and cream and concentrated mainly on making ice cream and cheddar cheese. These specialisations enabled the company to carve out an enviable place for itself in the market by offering superior quality products.

The dairy products market is changing, with traditional dairies disappearing to make way for large-scale industries. At Laiterie de Coaticook Ltée, the next generation is taking over and bringing new ideas to the table. Proud of their well-established tradition of quality, Jean Provencher and his sister Johanne added new products that were a hit with customers. The arrival of ice cream logs, ice milk, aged cheddar cheese and goat's cheese set Laiterie de Coaticook Ltée apart from its peers.

In order to meet ever-growing demand, Laiterie de Coaticook Ltée is moving its operations to a building three times larger than its current one. A dairy bar is being built, where all the delicious products made at the factory will be available.

Due to strong market demand, Laiterie must once again expand its facilities in order to diversify and store its production. Sales have more than quadrupled since 2004! In addition, the company won a food innovation award in 2013 for its new frozen Greek yogurt made from real yogurt.

September 2014 saw the launch of a new range of ice cream called "La Gourmande". It made its debut in shops with a brand new container. It features four star flavours that were previously exclusive to dairy bars. During the year, the Dairy also became the owner of an ice-cream caravan, which now takes part in a number of events and festivals.

To increase production capacity, the Dairy is investing in new cheese-making facilities, including three new tanks.

Despite the difficult global context caused by COVID-19, La Laiterie is proudly celebrating its 80th anniversary. For the occasion, a corporate video has been created in the company's colours, celebrating its history and values. Although the pandemic brought its share of challenges, sales rose sharply, thanks in particular to a marked increase in sales of home-grown products. In order to continue serving customers in complete safety, a drive-through service has been set up in the caravan, enabling us to start serving cones again, much to everyone's delight, directly in our car park.

In 2022, the first shipment of Coaticook cheese curds will leave the port of Montreal bound for France. This product is dedicated to the restaurant trade, offering the famous Quebec poutine with real Quebec cheese curds! The cheese is all the rage, and is now distributed in France and Germany. Who knows, maybe the next time you're in Europe, you'll have the chance to try a Coaticook cheese poutine!

Laiterie de Coaticook is announcing investments of more than $5 million in its facilities. Thanks to the Investment Fund for the Processing of Supply-Managed Products, the dairy is receiving $2.2 million in financial support from the federal government. This sum will be used to add a new freezer, increasing production by an additional 10 million litres of ice cream per year. At the same time, the Dairy is taking a new and innovative step by opening its own private, unsubsidised day-care centre to make it easier for its employees to balance work and family life.

A number of festivities are being organised throughout the year to celebrate the Dairy's 85th anniversary. An exclusive logo has even been designed especially for the occasion. Three new flavours are added to the La Gourmande range, offering even more variety. New projects, new ideas, new products - one thing's for sure, Coaticook Dairy has no end of innovations to surprise you! The story goes on at the Laiterie de Coaticook, and the Provencher family warmly thanks you for your loyalty!