John James McLaughlin (March 2, 1865 – January 28, 1914) was a Canadian pharmacist and manufacturer who was the founder of
Canada Dry
Canada Dry is a brand of soft drinks founded in 1904 and owned since 2008 by the American company Dr Pepper Snapple (now Keurig Dr Pepper). For over 100 years, Canada Dry has been known mainly for its ginger ale, though the company also manufa ...
.
Early life
John J. McLaughlin was born near
Enniskillen
Enniskillen ( , from ga, Inis Ceithleann , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,823 a ...
, Durham Region,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, the eldest son of Mary Smith and
Robert McLaughlin, the founder of
McLaughlin Carriage and McLaughlin Motor Car which became
General Motors of Canada
General Motors of Canada Company (french: La Compagnie General Motors du Canada), commonly known as GM Canada, is the Canadian subsidiary of US-based company General Motors. It is headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
In the aftermath of ...
.
Known as "Jack", he completed high school in
Oshawa, Ontario, where he then became a pharmacist apprentice, before attending the
Ontario College of Pharmacy
Established in 1868, the ''Canadian Pharmacists Journal'' (''CPJ'') is the oldest continuously published periodical in Canada. This peer-reviewed journal is published 6 times per year, and features original research, clinical reviews, commentarie ...
in Toronto, and graduating in 1885.
He did postgraduate study in pharmacy in New York City, worked as a pharmacy dispenser, and later managed one of the largest pharmacies in Brooklyn.
Because of the long-held belief in the health benefits of natural mineral waters, by the late 1880s a carbonated beverage industry had developed. With the addition of flavourings, they were increasingly consumed for pleasure, and often this was at drugstores.
Canada Dry
After embarking on a tour of European carbonated water producers, McLaughlin returned to Toronto in 1890, where he founded a
soda water
Carbonated water (also known as soda water, sparkling water, fizzy water, club soda, water with gas, in many places as mineral water, or especially in the United States as seltzer or seltzer water) is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, ...
bottling plant.
In 1904, he launched Canada Dry "pale dry" Ginger Ale and in 1907, received a patent for "Canada Dry Ginger Ale."
Personal life
McLaughlin married Maude Christie on October 23, 1890, in New York City. They had three sons and a daughter. He died at home of a heart attack January 28, 1914, and is buried at St James' Cemetery, Toronto.
References
External links
Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLaughlin, John J.
1865 births
1914 deaths
People from Clarington
Canadian people of Irish descent
Canadian pharmacists
Businesspeople from Ontario
Burials at St. James Cemetery, Toronto