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Header image source: Uptown Waterloo BIA
An early photo of the Seagrams Distillery building at 57 Erb St. W.
If you’re ever wandering around the corner of Erb and Caroline Streets in Uptown Waterloo, take a close look at that building with the mysteriously chopped-off corner on the northeast side. Spoiler alert: it didn’t start out like that.
Before diving into the story behind the building’s unusual shape, it’s worth knowing a bit about its history.
The building was the part of the Seagram’s Distillery, which played a huge role in the Waterloo’s history. The distillery originated in 1857 as the Granite Mills and Waterloo Distillery, and in 1883 Joseph E. Seagram bought it and renamed it. The distillery became well-known for blending and distilling whisky, earning an international reputation.
Although it closed in 1992, its impact is still felt and remembered locally. Currently, the building at 57 Erb Street West is occupied by Tangam Systems; this building has had many lives over the years, from housing Seagram’s whiskey barrels, to the Seagram’s Museum and CIGI.
Early photo of Seagrams Warehouse building with barrels
Distant photo of Seagrams building at 57 Erb St. W., c.1990
Now, about that cut-off corner at the intersection of Erb and Caroline Streets. Believe it or not, the building originally had all four corners, but things changed in 1905. Joseph Seagram got into a dispute with the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR).
You see, Seagram was interested in doing business with the new company, Preston-Berlin Railway. However, the GTR tracks ran very close to his building at Erb and Caroline. Refusing to let that stop him, Seagram quite literally removed part of his building’s north-east corner to make room for the Preston-Berlin Railway to build their tracks on.
However, seeing what had happened, the GTR quickly moved their tracks over into the new space! So, what did Seagram do? You guessed it, he removed another part of his building to make more space for the new railway company to move into. Only this time he had a plan. He called in the Waterloo Fire Department, who threatened to use their hoses to push back GTR workers attempting to move their tracks into the now empty space yet again. Not having any luck, the workers eventually backed off, and the Preston-Berlin railway tracks were laid.
This tug-of-war between Seagram and the railways didn’t just settle a business dispute; it permanently reshaped the building itself. What looks like a curious design choice today is actually a physical reminder of that moment in Waterloo’s history. The building’s missing corner stands as a quiet witness to the determination—and rivalry—that once played out there.
Former Seagrams Distillery building at 57 Erb St. W., 2026