Thornloe Cheese

Thornloe Cheese has produced a respected brand of cheese products in Northern Ontario for over 71 years! Our secret to success is old-fashioned cheese making techniques and fresh milk produced in this unique agricultural area.

Thornloe Cheese is a 100% Canadian, 100% farmer-owned company. Although the product has grown tremendously from its early days, the company remains headquartered in Thornloe, Ontario, where it was formed.

Historical photo of cheese making

The original home of Thornloe Cheese was built in the village of Thornloe in 1940. René Laframboise took a leap of faith and opened Thornloe Cheese, employing two individuals in the start-up years. The first production of cheese began with a total of 900 pounds of milk.

The business continued to grow and was sold in 1944 to Fernand Jubinville who ran the successful cheese plant for a total of 12 years. Jubinville would sell to Roméo Laforce only to re-acquire the company in 1966 with Joe Laffin as his partner.
During this time, local farmers would deliver cans full of milk to the plant, some with as many as 20 cans at one time. On the farms, producers would dig out an area and fill it with cool water where they would sit the milk cans to keep cool. In 1967, Mr. Jubinville purchased a milk truck to cater to the four local farmers who had installed bulk holding tanks. In 1969, Earlton Milk Transport took over the logistics of milk transportation for the plant.

In 1969, a new plant was built at the current location on Highway 11 North, followed by a warehouse addition in 1973. With a successful product and an efficient new location, Thornloe was building a very strong name in the area....continue reading on our website: www.thornloecheese.ca