A 130-Year-Old Canadian Cheese Icon 🧀🇨🇦
If you’re a cheese lover (or just a fan of poutine—which, let’s be honest, who isn’t?), then you’ve probably heard of St-Albert Cheese Co-operative. This Franco-Ontarian cheesemaker has been crafting award-winning cheddar and cheese curds since 1894, making it one of Canada’s oldest co-operatives.
At Palapa Tours, we fully support the cheese economy—we haven’t implemented the Cheese Tax yet, but it’s something we’re thinking about. 🤔🧀
A Cheese Legacy Over 130 Years in the Making
St-Albert Cheese isn’t just any cheesemaker—it’s a company built on tradition, resilience, and community pride. Since its founding by a group of Franco-Ontarian dairy farmers, the co-op has been producing top-tier cheese while staying true to its roots.
✅ Cooperative-Owned: About 35 member farms (around 80 individuals) own and operate the business.
🏆 Award-Winning: Their cheese has won multiple Grand Champion awards at the British Empire Cheese Show.
🛫 Global Reach: They export cheese curds to all 10 Canadian provinces, three territories, and international destinations like Japan, Barbados, and Abu Dhabi.
Poutine Royalty 👑🧀🍟
Let’s talk about what really makes St-Albert a Canadian treasure—poutine. Their famous cheese curds are a key ingredient in Canada’s national dish, and their reputation has spread so far that Canadian embassies worldwide order from them for Canada Day celebrations!
📦 Embassies across the globe stock up on St-Albert curds every year to celebrate with authentic poutine.
💡 As their Business Development Director, Éric Léveillé, puts it:
“To make poutine for Canada Day, embassies reach out to us each year… They pay for it, we bring it to the airport, and then they fly it in.”
A Major Employer & Community Staple
Not only does St-Albert make some of the best cheese in Canada, but it’s also a pillar of the local economy.
👨🏭 Employs over 220 people in the St-Albert region.
🏗️ Rebuilt after a devastating 2013 fire, which destroyed the original plant but led to a bigger, better, and more modern facility.
🏡 A source of pride for the St-Albert community, as Léveillé puts it:
“When it comes to cheese curds, we’re pretty big.”
Cheese Tourism: A Gouda Experience 🏡🧀
Did you know you can visit St-Albert Cheese Co-op? Their facility is open for cheese lovers to watch the cheese-making process, shop at their boutique, and enjoy a meal at their restaurant.
🍽️ Cheese Boutique & Restaurant – Try fresh cheese curds, gooey grilled cheese, and poutine that’ll change your life.
🎥 Behind-the-Scenes Cheese-Making – Learn how cheese goes from milk to masterpiece (as Ottawa Tourism puts it, “After your visit, cheese will no longer hold any secrets.”).
A Company That Overcame the Fire & Bounced Back Stronger
In 2013, disaster struck when a massive fire destroyed the St-Albert cheese factory and its historical archives. The loss was devastating—even causing a cheese curd shortage in Ontario!
🔥 But St-Albert rebuilt and expanded, proving that nothing can stop Canada’s top cheesemakers.
As the Mayor of The Nation, Ontario, put it at the time:
“It’s a page of history that’s been ripped out.”
Thankfully, the new facility is bigger, better, and cheesier than ever!
Will Palapa Tours Implement the Cheese Tax? 🧀🚤
We at Palapa Tours believe that cheese is a fundamental human right—but we’ve also heard whispers of a Cheese Tax being introduced on our floating tiki boats. We’re still debating it, but let’s be honest… if you bring a bag of St-Albert curds aboard, we may demand a handful as payment. 😆
Want to Learn More? Listen to the Podcast! 🎧
Dive deeper into the cheesy goodness on our latest podcast episode, where we talk about:
🎙️ The 130-year-old history of St-Albert Cheese Co-op
🎙️ How poutine became Canada’s signature dish 🍟
🎙️ The 2013 fire & incredible comeback story
🎙️ Cheese tourism & why you need to visit St-Albert!
🎧 Where to Listen?
You can tune in to The Palapa Podcast on your favorite streaming platforms:
🎙️ Palapa Website | 🎙️ Apple Podcasts | 🎶 Spotify | 🌐 RSS Feed & More
🚤 Explore Ottawa’s best-kept foodie secrets with Palapa Tours! Book your tour and experience the city’s hidden gems—just don’t forget the cheese curds!
🔗 Reserve your adventure today! www.palapa.tours
#PalapaTours #StAlbertCheese #CheeseCurds #Poutine #FrancoOntarian #OttawaEats #FloatingTikiBar #CheeseTaxDebate 🚤🧀😂
