Townsite Brewing

Townsite Brewing is based in the Federal Building, an architectural treasure with beautiful art deco brickwork built in 1939 to house the post office and other federal agencies in the Townsite area of Powell River. It had been empty and unused for a long time before the owner agreed to invest in the brewery in 2011.

Back then, before the current boom of new breweries had really begun, the idea of opening a craft brewery in a remote town two ferries from Vancouver seemed more than a little risky, but Townsite was a hit with the local community from the start and has never looked back. A big part of its success is the skill and approach of Cédric Dauchot, who, for a long time, was the only Belgian-born brewmaster west of Montréal. His wife, Chloe Smith, a brewer herself, is now the brewery GM.

Townsite is also the only brewery in BC that is also designated as an Economusée. This program aims to promote and conserve the heritage of traditional skills by showcasing artisans at work as they produce authentic, handcrafted products and contribute innovative ideas to their trade.