Harry C. Hatch (1884-1946) was a self-made millionaire industrialist from Prince Edward County, Ontario specializing in the business of wine and spirits. Hatch started out with a small liquor store in Whitby, Ontario and prospered to the point where he was able to purchase the controlling interest of Gooderham & Worts Ltd. in 1923. Four years later, Hatch acquired Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd. based in Walkerville, Ontario, and in 1927 merged the two companies under the parent company of Hiram Walker-Gooderharn & Worts Limited. The company prospered due largely to its top-selling brand Canadian Club whisky. Hatch was also known for playing a significant role in the pioneering of the Canadian Wine Industry, most notably in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario, where Hatch became majority owner of Brights Wines in 1933. At that time Canadian wineries typically made only ports and sherries, but Hatch pursued the development of a dry table wine and invested company resources into experimenting with different grape varieties not traditionally found in Niagara.
Horse Racing
Hatch was considered a dominant owner and breeder of thouroughbreds in Canada during the 1930s and 1940s. He owned and bred five King's Plate winners: Monsweep, Goldlure, Budpath, Acara, and Uttermost. In 2000, Hatch was posthumusly inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame as a Builder. Harry C. Hatch died in 1946 at the age of 62.
