Our history
1900–1915
Three brothers, Alexander, Duncan, and William, opened shop in Casselman, ON, selling sawn lumber, ancillary materials, and bricks to projects in rural Ontario and western Quebec.
In 1912, Alexander made a change. He moved to Ottawa, where he worked for a larger brick operation owned by Mr. James Ballantyne. This was a permanent move to Ottawa for Alexander, who worked with Mr. Ballantyne until the closure of his yard in 1915.
Following Armistice in 1918, Alexander, Duncan, and William reunited in Ottawa. They purchased Ballantyne’s brickyard in the Billings Bridge area — and here, Merkley Limited was born.
1915–1958
Between 1922 and 1924, we provided masonry materials for several major projects in Ottawa: the Glebe Collegiate Institute, Ottawa Auditorium, and Ottawa Civic Hospital. Then, in 1932, we supplied bricks for the Mayfair Theatre. And between 1938 and 1940, we provided the terra cotta brick backing and granite face of the Supreme Court of Canada! (Yeah, we did that.)
During this time, our iconic “Rideau red” wire-cut, stock-moulded clay bricks were also used for residential and commercial developments in booming neighbourhoods across Ottawa, including Centretown, the Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Hintonburg, and Sandy Hill.
1958–1982
1958 brought big changes. With the NCC selling the brickyard land, and the need for terra cotta bricks decreasing, the brothers were contemplating closing shop. But Alexander’s son had a different vision.
In 1959, Douglas Cameron followed in his father’s footsteps, renaming the business Merkley Supply. We began distributing masonry and stone products, mortar and cement products from large manufacturers.
Merkley moved to Rochester Street, near Lebreton Flats. This prime location made it smoother for us to help both eastern and western development — from Nepean to Gloucester. We stayed here until 1978, when we moved to our current corner of Bayview Station Road.
1982–Present
In 1982, Robert Merkley, Douglas Cameron’s son, became the CEO of Merkley Supply — and he’s still going strong.
In his time as CEO, Robert has established the MSL Trade Show, sat on the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association’s board of directors, and helped raise 1.5 million dollars for the Ottawa Hospital within one decade. And with his lead, we’ve put our hearts (and funds) behind 10+ other local causes.
In 2024, Robert won a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Board of Trade, in recognition of his community and industry impact.
125 years of passion, expertise, and helping our community mark every milestone.
