The Berwick distillery – part 2

For about 10 months in 1930, the promoters of the new distillery in Berwick went through the necessary procedures with the town, various levels of government, the railway and, by September of that year, began construction of the first buildings in a six unit complex.

By February 11, 1931, the company had succeeded in producing cider to fill the large tanks and was about to begin work on the distillery unit.

The intention of producing apple brandy was well-known from the beginning, but the Temperance organizations in Berwick remained silent until November, probably doubting the ability of the American promoter to handle both the construction and operation of such a large industry in Nova Scotia and thinking the project would self-destruct.

Such was not the case: by November, 1930, the people who opposed the establishment of an alcoholic beverage plant were beginning to pressure their organizations to reject the issuance of a licence to produce liquor in Berwick.

The first protest came from the Berwick Camp Meeting Association, which held a special meeting and then sent a letter to Premier Harrington. The letter contained a resolution against the operation of a distillery in Berwick. The protest included the reminder, in the 1890s by an act of incorporation, the Legislature vested in the Methodist Church certain privileges and rights which were deemed necessary for the successful carrying out of the high purposes of the association. One of them was an act, part of which read: “No licence for the sale of intoxicating liquor shall be granted to any person within a three mile limit of the boundary of the Association and all licences granted in contravention of this act shall be illegal and void.”

In late November of 1930, Mr. Steppanski returned from a business trip to New Jersey. When asked for his reaction regarding the attacks of the opposition, he replied, while the forces opposed to his project were doing considerable talking, he was too busy with his own business affairs to give much heed to other events in which he was not greatly interested. When asked what he would do with such a large building if his permit were annulled, the answer was, “I could at least substitute the present roof a glass one and grow daisies.”

Once again the Berwick Distillery came in for severe criticism when a delegation headed by Rev. H.R. Grant, secretary of the Nova Scotia Social Service Counci,l appeared before the private and local bill committee to oppose the bill which would provide for a fixed assessment on the distillery property.

The fight to have the distillery in Berwick was led by the Berwick Citizen’s Committee, which canvassed Kings County for more than a month and ended up with over 5,000 names on a petition, compared to 4,000 names on the petition of Dr. Grant.

In March 1931, G.C. Nowlan and R.T. Caldwell of Kings Country introduced bills which provided for a fixed assessment on the distillery property.

In 1934, public shares were sold on the project, a sign Mr. Steppanski was finally realizing he was never going to get his permit. In 1936, the distillery sold at a sheriff’s sale for a reported $15,000. The plant was later purchased by a salvage dealer, who removed the expensive equipment and sold the property to the Graves Company of Bridgetown.

Mr. Steppanski might have done better in Berwick if he had grown daisies, but that was not his dream. The promise he made to provide employment for local workers was fulfilled both by the original owner and his followers.