Tay Valley Township Recognizes the Heritage Chaplin Dairy Factory
Four Decades Delivering Milk to This Region
Tay Valley Township Council has announced the recognition of the well-known Chaplin Dairy factory in the municipality’s Heritage Property Recognition Program. The factory, located at 667 Glen Tay Road, has been a prominent element of the hamlet since its construction in 1935. The dairy processed milk onsite until 1974, for distribution throughout this region. The Chaplin families, Delbert and Mabel Chaplin, and brother Edgar and Laura, owned the business until the 1940s, when children John (Orpha), Cameron (Betty) and Don (Doris) assumed management.
In 1977, the Chaplin Dairy business was sold, and the factory building saw a number of owners until 1997, when the Little Stream Bakery assumed ownership. The bakery is the centre for the company’s whole grain bread line of products, and distributes throughout eastern Canada.
The historical significance of this building derives from its role as a regional dairy processing facility and the importance of the early farming, and particularly dairy, sectors to the region’s economy. The structure and footprint of the one-story, wood frame Chaplin Dairy factory building remain unchanged from 1935. The interior has been substantially altered to accommodate the needs of a modern bakery, including the addition of a commercial oven. The original freezer remains. The exterior of the building was updated to board on batten siding and metal roofing, and a solar hot water system added.
The Heritage Properties Recognition Program acknowledges Tay Valley Township’s long and diverse indigenous and settler history, and the wealth of heritage properties that define our community. Properties eligible to receive recognition include buildings that have historic or cultural significance to the community, structures such as monuments, cemetery markers or bridges, and heritage landscapes and archaeological sites. This program is commemorative and carries no legal restrictions for properties. Please note that these are private properties. For further information please visit For further information please visit https://www.tayvalleytwp.ca/HeritagePropertiesProgram/.