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Oland and Son Brewery was founded in 1867 by Francis deWinton and John James Dunn Oland. George Culverwell Oland and Sidney Oland purchased the Halifax brewery, Highland Spring Brewery. By 1914, the company was incorporated and officially named Oland and Son Limited. It had a capital stock of $100,000 divided into 1,000 shares of $100 each.
In 1917, The Halifax Explosion destroyed the Oland and Son Limited brewery and their associated plant in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Following the explosion, George W. C. Oland went to Saint John, NB and purchased the Simeon Jones Brewery, and carried on the business there under the name of Olands Brewery Limited. The Halifax plant was partially rebuilt in 1920 and used as a storage unit until financial matters were secured with help from the Saint John, NB; Oland's Brewery Limited. The Dartmouth brewery was never rebuilt.
By 1925, after several years of trying different business options, Sidney and his father, George Culverwell Oland, decided that Sidney's best bet for a successful business venture was to return to Halifax and rebuild the brewery. The building was completed in 1931 and was known as the most modern brewery in the Maritime Provinces. Sidney became the managing director of the company after his father's death in 1933.
In 1927, Sidney purchased A. Keith and Son Brewery and became the managing director. A. Keith and Son eventually became a wholly owned subsidiary of Oland and Son Limited. See the A. Keith and Son Limited Series for more information.
By 1945, as a result of heavy wartime demand for beer to supply the troops and limited resources to maintain the breweries, the Oland and Son plant and the A. Keith and Son plant were run down. An expansion and renovation program of several million dollars was carried out and the breweries were re-equipped with the most modern equipment, including stainless Steel fermenting tanks and glass lined storage tanks, as well as, the latest in mashing and brew house equipment. In 1946, the company made its first public offering of shares.
The company continued to expand and purchased the Red Ball Brewery in Saint John, New Brunswick. The brewery was renamed Oland's Brewery and the factory underwent a major renovation project in the 1960s. Rising costs and competition from breweries from Western Canada made the operation of the company increasingly difficult. On June 1, 1971, Oland and Son Limited sold its brewing assets to John Labatt Limited. Oland's Breweries (1971) Limited was established by John Labatt Limited to continue operating the breweries in Halifax and Saint John and Oland and Son changed its name to Lindwood Holdings Limited.
Oland and Son has a long history of philanthropic contributions to the province of Nova Scotia. The company sponsored numerous sports teams and leagues, fairs and exhibitions, and other activities, made charitable contributions to organizations all over the province, and was a strong support of Royal Canadian Legion halls, mess halls, and military bases. The company constructed the Bluenose II to help market its Schooner beer and represent the province internationally. In 1965, Sidney Oland and Oland and Son Ltd. contributed to Sidney's Alma matter, St. Frances Xavier University. The generous contribution allowed the university to build an auditorium-gymnasium-stadium complex that was named Oland Centre.