After standing as a prominent structure in Charlottetown for eighty years, the former Purity Dairy building is set for demolition. Eugene and Gladys Cullen established the family-owned enterprise on Kent Street in September 1946. Following its sale to Amalgamated Dairies Limited (ADL) in 2023, the building has remained unoccupied.
Tom Cullen, the general manager and son of the dairy’s founders, mentioned that the interior is being deconstructed in an environmentally conscious manner. The demolition of the building is expected to take place in either November or December. Cullen expressed that while it marks a significant step in the closure of Purity, it is deemed necessary to progress and prevent the existence of an empty structure, which poses safety risks.
Despite the property still being under the family’s ownership, there are no immediate plans for its future utilization. Cullen emphasized the importance of making informed decisions, stating that the closure of the business in 2023 was a carefully considered choice. He affirmed that looking back, the decision was deemed appropriate at the time.
Purity Dairy previously utilized horse-drawn wagons for product deliveries in the city until 1958 and was the last in the province to provide home milk delivery until 2010. The discontinuation of home delivery was attributed to escalating costs associated with equipment and fuel, rendering the service economically unviable. The company faced challenges from rising operational expenses over the years, impacting its competitiveness against larger enterprises.
Cullen reflected on the transformations witnessed over the decades, including shifts in customer ownership concentration and customer base sizes. He highlighted the evolution of operational practices, with a growing emphasis on high-output equipment that posed procurement challenges for smaller businesses like Purity Dairy.
Image: The former Purity Dairy plant on Kent Street near Holland College in Charlottetown.