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“Premium quality manufacturing is where there’s opportunity,”

GUYSBOROUGH — These days it’s a bit hard to believe that people once killed each other for the ownership of Chedabucto Bay and the small village nestled deep within the embrace of its great arms.

Now, it’s hard to get people to visit, let alone convince the children of those who already live in Guysborough County that the world isn’t waiting for them somewhere else.

Statistics Canada records show the county’s population dropped by nearly 500 people between 2006 and 2011, leaving 4,189 residents to call the area home.

But there’s something brewing in Guysborough. Under his brand, Authentic Seacoast Co., Ontario business man Glynn Williams has been instrumental in restarting a brewery, opening a coffee roastery and cafe and revitalizing a golf course and an inn.

“Premium quality manufacturing is where there’s opportunity,” said Williams said during a recent interview at his headquarters in a renovated century-old Guysborough storefront.

“Tourism has been in cyclical decline for years. You’re competing with Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and a host of other places for a set number of dollars. What you need to offer is something people can’t get anywhere else. What we have here is authenticity.”

Guysborough’s got authenticity growing everywhere.

There’s no garish resorts where impoverished locals paint on smiles to pour mixed drinks by the gallon for wealthy North Americans desperate to blast the mundane from their daily lives into oblivion.

There’s a quiet village where people have been making a living from the forest and the sea for 350 years. A village where, in 1659, Nicholas Deny opened Atlantic Canada’s first commercial brewery.

But authenticity doesn’t pay the bills or bring your children home.

Still Guysborough has Williams.

The engineer-financial analyst bought a 150-year-old farmhouse in nearby St. Francis Harbour, complete with outhouse and hand pump, 25 years ago as a place his growing family to find some peace of mind from their lives in Toronto.

“I enjoyed the anonymity,” said the owner of aerospace companies, engineering firms and longtime financial analyst.

But when the DesBarres Manor Inn, a stately structure built in 1837, was left abandoned after a failed effort to revitalize it by a German investor, Williams precious anonymity came to an end.

He bought it, cleaned up the mould that had taken hold during its closure, pumped $1-million in renovations into the building and reopened it.

Then a renovated brew-pub on the waterfront was left abandoned in similar style after its owner, a German investor, suffered health problems. Williams bought it too and opened it as the Rare Bird Pub, a craft brewery.

Then he bought an adjacent abandoned general store and renovated it into a coffee shop and store.

In 2006, he bought the Osprey Shores, a nine-hole golf course, and pumped some more money into it. Then in 2011, he bought a bankrupt convenience store and renovated it into a bakery and coffee roastery.

So far, he’s pumped $8 million of his own money into Guysborough, and he’s in talks with architects to build a distillery beside the golf course.

The idea is to merge premium manufacturing with tourism opportunities under his Authentic Seacoast brand, following the example of communities like Freeport, Maine.

It’s a move countless rural Nova Scotian communities, drained by declining resource industries, would love to emulate.

But investors willing to spend millions and operate at a loss for years as the brand is built are rare.

“We are fortunate to have him,” Lloyd Hines, warden of Guysborough County, said.

“But in order for these things to happen there has to be planning involved that is long range and profound. In order for Mr. Williams to take root, he needed the necessary infrastructure in place.”

Hines’ council has been seeking to lay the groundwork for business.

They expropriated land for Maher Melford Terminal’s proposed $350-million container terminal, a project that remains in limbo, and rezoned land to accommodate industrial development in the former community of Goldboro.

They took tax proceeds from the natural gas coming onshore from Sable Island and invested them in a six, 2.3-megawatt, turbine project near Canso that is expected to pay dividends to the municipal government for the next 20 years.

Over the past year, they’ve seen two companies step forth, H-Energy of India and Pieridae Energy of Calgary, with proposals to build multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas plants in the county.

But there have been many big announcements for industrial development in Guysborough before that never came to fruition, so many residents are taking a wait and see approach.

Meanwhile, there’s Williams, who currently employs 20 people as he builds a brand and markets for the products of Authentic Seacoast.

“It takes vision and time, and you have to have deep pockets to take the losses for an extended period of time,” Williams said.

Asked when he expects to start seeing a profit, Williams replied, “It’ll be ready when it’s due.”

jherbin wrote:Should be commended for creating jobs - so long as they are fairly compensated and fulfilling positions, of course. Hope it goes well, doesn't sound like he's doing it for huge returns at this point.

mr x wrote:My point was this:

The beer is awful. There is no dedication to premium quality manufacturing.

jherbin wrote:Agreed, hopefully they're able to hit their stride and pump out some good beer. With that kind of money you'd think they'd be able to afford a brewer with some knowledge and experience. I haven't tried the beer so I'll reserve judgement on that front.

ajcarp wrote:

jherbin wrote:Agreed, hopefully they're able to hit their stride and pump out some good beer. With that kind of money you'd think they'd be able to afford a brewer with some knowledge and experience. I haven't tried the beer so I'll reserve judgement on that front.

They are using the brewer at Crannog in BC as their mentor/advisor. They came out and spent a lot of time out here training and working in the farm brewery. So I think they have access to plenty of knowledge and experience.

mr x wrote:Awesome. I find a serious lack of respect amongst the come from away brewers around this province.

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His business is hopping
Authentic Seacoast Brewing expands distribution, production
Bill Power
Guysborough's Authentic Seacoast Brewing Co. will have its Rare Bird Craft Beer Pale Ale available at 35 Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. stores across the province beginning Monday.
"It's been a labour of love and everybody involved is excited about this wider distribution," proprietor Glynn Williams said in an interview.
"We hope someday to distribute throughout the Maritimes."
Williams called it a continuation of a brewing tradition started by Acadian entrepreneur Nicholas Denys in Guysborough in 1659.
The craft brewery expects to begin provincial distribution of its Full Steam Stout in February.
"We've more than doubled our previous brewing capacity to distribute our pale ale across the province, and hope to have an entirely new brewing operation in place by the end of next year," Williams said. The new brewery will include a craft distillery to produce small quantities of whisky, rum and vodka.
Authentic Seacoast employs about 20 people and expects to add at least another 20 when the new brewery-distillery is operational, Williams said.
Authentic Seacoast has been brewing craft beer on the Guysborough waterfront since 2006, serving ales made in small batches on the premises and through farmers markets and some licensed locations.
The bump in production of Rare Bird follows the launch last year of the Full Steam Coffee Co. Full Steam is available in more than 100 stores in Atlantic Canada, including all Sobeys in the Maritimes, Pete's and a host of other grocers, retailers, cafes and restaurants.
"Our vision is to restore the proud trading legacy of Guysborough," Williams said.
The Ontario entrepreneur first visited Guysborough while on a cycling expedition through the Eastern Shore about 26 years ago. He has remained a fan and promoter of the area.
Authentic Seacoast Brewing is located in a historic building on Guysborough Harbour.
The brewery sells its new pumpkin ale, made with hand-picked freshly roasted and spiced pumpkins, on its premises.
Authentic Seacoast in Guysborough also includes Authentic Seacoast Distilling Co., Harbour Belle Bakery, the DesBarres Manor Inn, Osprey Shores Golf Resort, Rare Bird Pub &Eatery, Skipping Stone Cafe &Store and the Authentic Seacoast Store.
The brewery uses select local ingredients whenever possible to produce its craft beers, Williams said.
"We also have a good supply of wonderfully pure artesian water to use in our brewing process."

CurtisD wrote:Kind of pricey for a 4-pack. Be nice to be able to try one without committing to 3 more.

Brewnoser wrote:But I would really like to see honest and correct assessment of what's in the bottle, not who made it, or worse, who happens to own the brewery, as long as they live here.