Purity Dairy building in Charlottetown will be demolished
The property is near Holland College and still belongs to the Cullen family, according to general manager Tom Cullen, whose parents, Eugene and Gladys Cullen, established Purity Dairy in September 1946. The plant operated from the Kent Street site for about 77 years before the business was sold to Amalgamated Dairies Limited, also known as ADL.
Since the transaction, the building has not been occupied. Cullen said its interior is being taken apart using environmentally responsible methods before the structure is removed. He expects the demolition to take place in either November or December, although no more precise date was given.
Cullen described the demolition as a stage in winding down Purity Dairy. He said leaving the property unused was not beneficial to the company or to Charlottetown. He also said that people had tried to enter the building and remain there, creating safety concerns that contributed to the decision to proceed.
The family has not decided what will happen to the site after the demolition. Cullen said the family had carefully chosen to close the business in 2023 and that the outcome was therefore not unexpected. He said the family considered that decision appropriate at the time and had not reconsidered it.
Purity Dairy had used horses and wagons to distribute products in Charlottetown until 1958. It was the last dairy in Prince Edward Island to provide milk directly to homes, according to Cullen; that service ended in 2010. He said customers valued the personal service, but the cost of vehicles, equipment and fuel eventually made home delivery uneconomic.
Cullen also attributed pressure on the business to broader changes in the dairy market. He referred to greater concentration among customers and larger customer operations, as well as the increasing use of high-output equipment. Such machinery was increasingly difficult for a smaller operator to obtain, he said, while rising costs made it harder for Purity Dairy to compete with larger businesses.
