E. P. Taylor

Edward Plunket Taylor
Edward Plunket Taylor
Born	Template:Birth date
Died	May 14, 1989 (aged 88); Lyford Cay, Bahamas
Other names	E. P. Taylor, Eddie
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse breeder
Years active	1920s–1976
Known for	Founder of Argus Corporation, Canadian Breweries Limited; breeder of Northern Dancer

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article E. P. Taylor, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Edward Plunket Taylor, CMG (January 29, 1901 – May 14, 1989), was a leading Canadian entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He gained prominence as a breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses and played a crucial role in shaping the Canadian horse-racing sector. Commonly referred to as "Eddie" by acquaintances, he is best known by the initials "E. P. Taylor".

Early years

As the firstborn of Plunket Bourchier Taylor and Florence Magee Taylor, Taylor received his education at Ashbury College and Ottawa Collegiate. During World War I, his family relocated to London following his father's enlistment. After several unsuccessful attempts to enlist in the British Army, Taylor was sent back to Ottawa to reside with his grandfather Charles Magee, a prosperous businessman whose entrepreneurial spirit greatly influenced Taylor's own ambitions.

In 1918, he began studies at McGill University, supporting himself through part-time work. Although his education was briefly disrupted by the Spanish flu outbreak, he completed a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1922. While at McGill, he secured a patent for an innovative electric toaster capable of browning both sides simultaneously—an advancement over existing designs—and earned royalties from its production. Nevertheless, Taylor soon transitioned from engineering toward business and economic pursuits.

Following graduation, he returned to Ottawa and operated a modest bus service alongside Lawrie Hart before selling it within a year. Subsequently, he joined the investment brokerage firm McLeod Young Weir (now ScotiaMcLeod), where his father was also employed.

In 1926, Taylor encountered Winifred Duguid at a social gathering at Chaudiere Golf Club. The couple married on June 15, 1927, at Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa and established their first residence on Laurier Avenue.

Business

Taylor's grandfather Charles Magee was an accomplished Ottawa entrepreneur with ventures in brewing, dry goods, and transportation. Upon Magee’s death in 1918, the family businesses were inherited by his brother and daughters, including Taylor’s mother. In 1923, Taylor joined Brading Brewery’s board—a family enterprise where his father served as president. That same year he founded Red Line Taxi Company but sold it after one year—exemplifying his approach of developing ventures before divesting them. He continued working at McLeod Young Weir, becoming a partner in 1928 and relocating to Toronto to be closer to the firm’s offices.

During the 1920s, Brading Brewery faced restrictions due to temperance laws, limiting sales solely to Quebec. After Ontario repealed prohibition in 1927, Taylor spearheaded efforts to modernize and expand the brewery’s facilities, boosting capacity by 50%. He conducted an analysis of Ontario’s fragmented brewing market—characterized by 37 underperforming breweries—and proposed consolidating successful operations to capture approximately 70% of the province’s beer market share. This strategy entailed acquiring multiple breweries and merging them while shutting down less viable plants.

The 1929 stock market crash curtailed underwriting activities but enabled Taylor to advance brewery consolidation using Brading shares as currency. Collaborating with Clark Jennison, who secured £500,000 from British investors, they established Brewing Corporation of Ontario by merging Brading and Kuntz breweries alongside British capital. Taylor subsequently negotiated a merger with Canadian Brewery Corporation Limited and purchased Carling Brewery for CAD 600,000. Ultimately, he unified over twenty small breweries into Canadian Breweries Limited, which grew into the world’s largest brewing company under his leadership.

Taylor described this consolidation process as "exchanging pieces of paper for other pieces of paper," frequently operating under tight cash flow conditions. Following prohibition’s end, he revamped sales and marketing strategies by replacing reliance on bootlegger-connected "runners" with professional sales teams and reduced the number of beer brands from over one hundred to six.

Expanding into soft drinks through acquired brewers who had diversified during prohibition, Taylor gained control over Canadian Orange Crush and its subsidiary Honey Dew. He restructured Honey Dew’s retail outlets to enhance profitability, creating a "food empire" comprising more than 100 stores by 1950 (excluding Dominion grocery stores). Honey Dew was eventually spun off as Canadian Food Products.

During World War II, Taylor volunteered in Canada’s wartime administration; appointed by Minister C.D. Howe to the Department of Munitions and Supply's executive committee and later assigned to lead the British Supply Council in North America under Winston Churchill. In 1940, he survived a torpedo attack when his ship was rescued despite typical convoy procedures.

In 1941, Taylor publicly opposed Prime Minister Mackenzie King’s initiative urging reduced beer consumption during wartime. His wartime roles facilitated connections with prominent Canadian and international business leaders. In recognition of his service, he was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1946.

After the war, Taylor created Argus Corporation by folding Canadian Breweries stock into this investment vehicle where he became majority shareholder. Argus held controlling interests across major Canadian firms such as Canadian Food Products, Massey-Harris (later Massey Ferguson), Standard Chemical, Dominion Stores, British Columbia Forest Products Limited, Dominion Tar & Chemical Co., Standard Broadcasting, and Hollinger Mines—establishing Taylor among Canada’s wealthiest individuals.

By 1950, Taylor possessed significant ownership within Argus Corp., which itself controlled key industrial companies through intricate ownership arrangements—effectively commanding firms like Dominion Tar despite holding minimal direct voting shares.

Taylor managed his extensive portfolio through frequent travel between Cleveland (home of Brewing Corporation of America), New York (where he associated with Floyd Odlum of Atlas Corporation), Montreal, and Toronto. He insisted on concise executive reports and prioritized energy, sound judgment, and interpersonal skills over mere intellectual brilliance.

In 1948, Taylor co-established the McGill University Alma Mater Fund aimed at promoting alumni contributions as a sustainable endowment.

Taylor also pioneered upscale gated communities; in 1957 he secured legislative approval for developing property on New Providence Island in the Bahamas. He founded the exclusive Lyford Cay gated community along with its club in 1959, attracting some of the wealthiest individuals globally.

In 1975, Argus Corporation became subject to a takeover attempt by Power Corporation. Taylor sold non-voting shares to Power Corp but retained voting shares for one year to allow partners time to acquire them; when they declined this opportunity he sold his remaining voting shares and retired from Argus in 1976.

Thoroughbred racing

Taylor first encountered thoroughbred horse racing in 1918 while attending McGill University in Montreal, frequenting the Blue Bonnets Raceway. During the 1930s, he founded Cosgrave Stable, which gained recognition for owning Mona Bell, the victor of the 1938 Breeders' Stakes and Maple Leaf Stakes.

Following World War II, Taylor deepened his involvement as an owner, breeder, and industry leader. In the 1950s, he revolutionized Ontario’s racing scene by streamlining fourteen racetracks into principal venues located in Toronto and Fort Erie. The year 1956 saw the inauguration of the new Woodbine racetrack near Toronto, alongside the refurbishment of the original Woodbine facility (later known as Greenwood racetrack). The modern Woodbine became a world-renowned venue, famously hosting Secretariat’s last race during the 1973 Canadian International Stakes. Taylor was instrumental in establishing the Jockey Club of Canada and held the presidency of the U.S. Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Together with his wife, Taylor embarked on thoroughbred breeding during the 1950s, acquiring estates such as Windfields Farm and Parkwood Stable in Oshawa, which were renamed National Stud and subsequently Windfields Farm. To enhance Canadian breeding quality, he imported elite stallions like Chop Chop, who sired four Queen's Plate champions including Canadiana and Victoria Park, a prominent Canadian sire.

Taylor’s breeding program produced Northern Dancer, who became the first Canadian-bred winner of the 1964 Kentucky Derby and is widely regarded as one of the most influential sires of the twentieth century. By 1970, Taylor led global breeders in earnings. He received Thoroughbred Racing’s Man of the Year award in 1973, was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1974, and earned the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder twice (1977 and 1983). His horses secured 15 victories in the Queen's Plate and claimed nine Canadian Horse of the Year honors.

Residences

Taylor’s principal home was Windfields Estate at 2489 Bayview Avenue in North York (now part of Toronto), which currently houses the Canadian Film Centre. This property is maintained as a heritage landmark. The Canadian royal family often stayed there during visits to Toronto; notable guests included Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (in 1974 and 1981) as well as Prince Charles accompanied by Diana, Princess of Wales. The estate employed a full staff including housekeepers, gardeners, and a house manager.

In 1963, Taylor moved to the Bahamas attracted by its climate and advantageous inheritance tax policies. He settled in Lyford Cay, a gated community he developed. Taylor passed away there in 1989 at age 88. Among his distinguished visitors was US President John F. Kennedy, who stayed at Taylor’s Lyford Cay residence in December 1962 during discussions with British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

His son, journalist and author Charles P. B. Taylor, died in 1997 after battling cancer for nine years.

Legacy

Taylor’s influence continues to be recognized throughout various communities:

The E.P. Taylor Research Library and Archives at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario commemorates his tenure as gallery president from 1957 to 1959.
In North York, E.P. Taylor Place functions as a residence for seniors.
- Close by on York Mills Road are Windfields Restaurant, a family-oriented dining establishment, alongside two apartment complexes named Windfields Place.
On the grounds of Durham College/University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Ontario, E.P. Taylor's Pub and Restaurant carries his namesake.
Taylor was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
The E. P. Taylor turf course at Woodbine Racetrack—opened in 1994 and esteemed as one of North America’s top turf tracks—is named to honor his legacy.

Bibliography