Originally built in 1903 in the Edwardian Classical style, complete with channeled brick and radiating vousisoirs that frame arched windows and entrances, the Mooney Biscuit and Candy Factory defined the entrepreneurial spirit of the time. It was in this spirit that successive enterprises built their own legacies on 245 Downie Street such as The Bradshaw Lofts namesake, J.L. Bradshaw, one of Canada’s oldest wholesalers.
1903 – 1917 Mooney Biscuit & Candy Company
1922 – 1924 Canadian General Electric Co. Ltd
1935 – 1948 National Grocers Co. Ltd.
1979 – 2016 JL Bradshaw Ltd.
2017 to 2019 Urbanistyc Developments
2019 Bradshaw Lofts
Paul Veldman, the founder of Urbanistyc Inc. which has now amalgamated with the BMI Group, developed this adaptive re-use project to restore the building’s historic qualities and secure a vibrant future for the area. The site was completed in the winter of 2020. It has 56 residential units and four commercial tenants including Janet Hill Studio, Brch and Wyn, Home and Company and the University of Waterloo. In 2021, the City of Stratford awarded Paul Veldman with the James Anderson Award for contributing to the preservation of Stratford’d built heritage.
Architectural design by Rita Osypa Fishman and Michael A Wilson Architect.