Last Thursday, John Sleeman was named a member of the Order of Canada in Ottawa during a special ceremony.

Sleeman brought light to a local beer company that closed for its involvement in bootlegging during the 1930s. He purchased the brewery in 1985, a legacy stemming back to his family beginnings in 1834 and re-launched Sleeman Brewing and Malting Company Ltd. in 1988.

“John Sleeman’s passion and determination profoundly impacted the Canadian beer industry,” states a bio on the governor general’s website announcing the latest round of inductees. “ As founder and chair of Sleeman Breweries, one of Canada’s most successful and storied breweries, he led the business with integrity and professionalism.”

While chairing the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Charter for Business, Sleeman worked to expand the program’s scope and make it more available to youth throughout the country, particularly in at-risk communities.

The company would go on to acquire several microbreweries before, in 2006, being bought by Sapporo Breweries Ltd.

Photo courtesy of Tony Saxon/GuelphToday