Molson to keep offices in Montreal as brewery moves to the South Shore

Molson Coors Canada Inc. has announced it plans to keep its offices in Montreal, even when its new brewery begins operations across the river in Longueuilin 2021.

The company said the decision was made after several months of discussions and with the goal of keeping "a link to the site where we began our operations in 1786."

"Our roots in Montreal are deepand we are proud we are respecting our commitment to maintain a presence of Molson in Montreal," saidFredericLandtmeters, the company's president and chief executive officer, in a jointstatement with the City of Montreal Wednesday.

The company's longstanding brewery is on Notre-Dame Street East, west ofPapineauStreet.

Montreal Mayor Valrie Plante welcomed the company'sdecision to keep its offices in the city.

"Molson Coors has been integral to Montreal's identity for several years and will remain so," she said in the statement.

The decision will maintain the links between Montreal and the company, while preserving jobs and administrative activities on the present site, the mayor said.

That'simportant for the neighbourhoodwhereMolsongot its start, Plantesaid.

Upholding the heritage of the site

Molson Coors and the city have been in discussions about the future of the Notre-Dame Streetsite for several months.

The company has met with the city and the Ville-Marie borough as it worksto develop an agreement in principle on the re-development of the brewery site and its heritage.

These agreements should be announced soon, the city and the company said.

"This will allow the redevelopment of the site of a new district for Montreal honouring the history of the brewery and the Molson family," Landtmeters said.