Dominion Seed House. 1940s
Dominion Seed House was a legendary company in Georgetown. Founded by William Bradley in 1928, it became known across Canada as the largest mail-order seed and plant store. The company sold seeds, cuttings and bulbs of flowers and vegetables.
The business specialized in mail-order sales of flower and vegetable seeds, as well as cuttings and bulbs, and grew to become one of the largest and most well-known mail-order seed suppliers in Canada. For much of its history, it operated primarily as a mail-order business, though it later included some on-site elements like a garden centre.
After William Bradley’s death in November 1953, his daughter Margaret Bradley Harding took over as president and ran the company successfully for decades.
In 1993, Margaret Harding sold the business to W. H. Perron (a Quebec-based company). Operations in Georgetown wound down: the garden centre closed around 1994, and the iconic mock-Tudor style building (a local landmark and tourist draw) was eventually demolished in 1999 after the property was sold for redevelopment.
Perron Seeds continues the Dominion Seed House name and tradition in some form today, with the postal address still listed in Georgetown. The company put Georgetown “on the map” nationally through its success and distinctive presence.
Dominion Seed House 1940s
Dominion Seed House 1940s
Willim and Margaret Bradley
History of the Old Seed House Garden.
In 1993 Margaret Harding sold the Dominion Seed House business to Perron, a Quebec firm that continues the DSH business at a new location to this day. In a nod to tradition, the postal address remains in Georgetown. The landmark mock-Tudor building remained on the Harding property and was leased to a nursery operator until 1998, when the property was sold for redevelopment.
In 1999 the DSH building was demolished.
The site has since been transformed into the Old Seed House Garden, a 1.8-acre public civic garden at the corner of Maple Avenue and Guelph Street in Georgetown (now part of Halton Hills). It honors the company’s legacy with formal gardens, pathways, a pond, and features incorporating remnants like old barn foundations from the original property. The garden serves as a community haven for people and wildlife.