District Ontario

The Ontario District of the MBAA is a vibrant community of brewers, suppliers, and persons associated with brewing beer and seltzer in Ontario.  Originally created in 1914 as the Master Brewers Association of Canada, the organization became part of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas in 1935, transforming into the MBAA Ontario District.  The MBAA Ontario District is known for the following major events:  

  • Annual Ontario Technical Conference (OTC), held on the last week of January each year. This event combines high-quality technical content, networking, and tours.
  • Annual Golf Tournament, which raises money for educational scholarships.
  • Iron Brewer Competition, held on a Friday in the latter half of September each year.  
  • Annual General Meeting, held in November each year.
  • Technical Social events on an occasional basis (where members can learn technical information on brewing and brewing related topics while also having a social event afterward).
  • Webinars on technical topics. 

Most events are located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Guelph, and Niagara areas. We also offer periodic webinars.  

Besides joining the MBAA and getting access to ​resources (e.g. Technical Quarterly), membership in the MBAA Ontario District allows you access to an active community of enthusiastic brewers and suppliers.  Following the MBAA motto of "United We Brew", we all work together to promote the production of high quality beer and beverages. 

For more information, contact:  [email protected]

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District Officers

District Board of Governors Representative
Ian Johnson
MBAA Ontario

District President
Richard Preiss
Escarpment Laboratories

District Past President
Jonathan C. Morse

District Secretary
Kim Lucas

District Treasurer
Debbie Mowat

District Educational Chair
Yii-Jen Tien


 

 

Governance 

Ontario District Bylaws
Ontario Patent
Ontario Charter
Ontario Constitution

Joel Manning Memorial Scholarship

The District Ontario is offering the Joel Manning Memorial Scholarship to any of the MBAA courses that are available in virtual or hybrid format. 
Joel Manning was a wave maker in our community who brought positive energy to those around him and helped advance our profession. In 2020, the renaming of the District Ontario Scholarship to the Joel Manning Memorial Scholarship, in memory of Joel's contributions, was warmly received. In the lead-up to the golf tournament, we received generous personal donations, in addition to event sponsorship, which exceeded our expectations. So much so, we may be in a position to increase our district's scholarship by offering a second scholarship prize or another educational experience.​

Virtual courses are sometimes fully on-demand and sometimes involve live virtual class sessions. Hybrid courses combine virtual and in-person instruction for interactive learning experiences. Visit MBAA website for the currently available courses.
Other scholarships are available for select courses from Master Brewers National and individual districts. However, the eligibility for the Ontario District Memorial Scholarship is slightly ​different (see chart).
Successful candidates for the U. S. MBAA Scholarship will not be eligible for the District Ontario Memorial Scholarship.
The value of the scholarship covers the full course cost including
  • Tuition and educational materials
  • Lodging accommodations at the in-person class site 
  • Two meals per day during in-person class times​
  • On-site tours​​
  • Opening and closing banquets for the in-person week​
  • Networking and relationship-building activities​
Applicants must be committed to financing all other ancillary costs such as transportation, involved with the course.
Please send any inquiry and your application to Yii-Jen Tien, Ontario District Education Committee.

​​​We would like to name past recipients of our district's scholarship prize: 

  • 2007 Iain Mcoustra, Amsterdam Brewing Co.
  • 2008 Andre Klinker, Amsterdam Brewing Co.
  • 2009 Cate Mcfalls, Sleeman Breweries
  • 2010 Mary Elizabeth Keefe, Granite Brewery
  • 2011 James Yii-Jen Tien, Muskoka Brewery
  • 2012 Scott Peters, Mill Street Brewery
  • 2013 Bridgid Young, Mill Street Brewery
  • 2014 Marta Horofker, Molson Coors
  • 2015 Siobhan Mcpherson, Amsterdam Brewing Co.
  • 2016 Robert Welch, Left Field Brewery
  • 2017 Pierre Doucette, Humble Beginnings Brewery
  • 2018 Mike Cheatley, Amsterdam Brewing Co.
  • 2019 Avery Henderson, Sleeping Giant Brewery
  • 2020 Stephen Rich, Blyth Cowbell Brewing Co.
  • 2021 Curtis Jeffrey, Four Fathers Brewing  Co.​
  • 2022 Stephen Rich, Cowbell Brewing Co.
  • 2023 Matt McConnell, Royal City Brewing Co.
  • 2024 not available due to insuficient education fund

Finally, a special thank you to the golf tournament sponsors and scholarship donors without whom we would not be able to fund the scholarship:

  • Anton Paar Canada
  • Brutech Process and Packaging
  • BSG Canada
  • Burkert
  • Canada Kegs
  • Carefoote Beverage Solutions
  • Cemcorp Ltd.
  • Country (Canada) Malting Co. Ltd.
  • Distribution Qualtech
  • Ecolab
  • GEA
  • General Filtration
  • Grace 
  • Gordon Fuller
  • Ingredion
  • Jenrey
  • Krones
  • Laporte Engineering
  • IMCD Canada Inc.
  • McRae Integration
  • Prominent Fluid Controls
  • Rahr Malting
  • Sani-Marc
  • Sealed-Air – Food Care Diversey
  • Traxxside Transloading​
 

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