MONTREAL - The Montreal Museum of Archeology and History at Pointe-a-Calliere has major expansion plans, thanks to a donation from a company with a long history in Montreal – Molson Coors.
North America's oldest brewery is signing a $325,000 cheque over the Pointe-a-Calliere Foundation, whose museum in Old Montreal is dedicated to preserving Montreal's history.
"We are very proud and very happy that such a company is aware of history in Montreal," said Claude Sylvie-Lemery, of the Pointe a Calliere museum.
The expansion project, which began in the spring, aims to create an archeology and history complex housing nine different sites connected through underground links.
The donation is to celebrate the Molson family's 225 years in the business of beer in the city.
"We're standing right here today where Montreal was founded and a few years after, a guy named John Molson came to town and founded a brewery, so it just seemed suitable to support this innovative institution," said Molson Coors chairman Andrew Molson.
John Molson's contributions to Montreal's development are highlighted here at the museum, including his role in creating Canada's first steamship, railway, and public hospital.
"If we didn't have the Molson family here, we wouldn't know Montreal, Quebec and Canada as we know it," said beer historian Stephane Morin.
