If you live in a GTA home built since the 1960s, there is a good chance Canada Brick made some of your wall. Canada Brick has been a premier clay brick manufacturer in Canada since 1954, supplying residential and commercial construction across Ontario from its Burlington plant. The company was acquired and folded into Arriscraft, which is in turn part of General Shale, but the Canada Brick brand and product lines continue. For Toronto homeowners thinking about brick selection — new construction, additions, restoration, refacing — Canada Brick is one of the names that comes up first at every distributor and in every quote.
This is a homeowner’s-eye write-up of who Canada Brick is, what they make, where their product appears across the GTA, and how to use it on a renovation or restoration project.
Who is Canada Brick as a manufacturer
Canada Brick was founded in 1954 as an Ontario clay brick manufacturer. The company built its reputation on consistent fired clay brick produced to ASTM C216 face brick standards, supplied to residential and architectural construction across Canada. The original plant was in Burlington, Ontario; production has expanded but Burlington remains the manufacturing core.
In 2014, Canada Brick joined Arriscraft, the Ontario-based architectural stone manufacturer best known for cast-stone and calcium-silicate stone products. Arriscraft itself is part of General Shale Inc., the largest brick and stone manufacturer in North America. The combined Arriscraft and Canada Brick portfolio gives the company a wide range of brick and stone for residential and architectural masonry work.
Canada Brick continues to make its product lines in Burlington. The company supplies through the standard Ontario masonry distribution network — independent yards, big-box masonry suppliers (Mason’s Masonry Supply Ltd in Mississauga, Brock Aggregates, Permacon dealers), and direct to large commercial projects.
What Canada Brick actually makes
The Canada Brick catalogue covers several product families:
Classic clay brick. The core line. ASTM C216 face brick in modular dimensions (roughly 7.5 by 2.25 by 3.5 inches). Standard residential and small-commercial face brick. Available in red, brown, grey, charcoal, white, and multicolour ranges.
Butter brick. A distinctive buff to warm-tan colour line. Common on Toronto and GTA contemporary residential builds where a softer, less red-dominant tone fits the architectural intent. The “butter” name comes from the colour.
Heritage and discontinued brick. Classic and discontinued brick from earlier decades, kept in inventory for restoration matching. When a homeowner needs to match the brick on a 1970s or 1980s GTA subdivision build, the discontinued line is the source. Canada Brick maintains a salvage and matching inventory most other manufacturers do not.
Architectural and custom-colour brick. Larger format, custom dimensions, and custom-colour brick for residential and architectural projects where the standard catalogue does not fit. Popular on premium custom homes in Forest Hill, Oakville, and Mississauga.
Coloured and engineered brick. Brick designed to specific colour or strength specifications — a homeowner can request a colour match against an existing wall, or a higher compressive strength for a structural application (ASTM C652).
The Arriscraft and Canada Brick combined portfolio also includes Arriscraft stone — calcium-silicate engineered stone in dozens of colours and textures, used as a stone alternative on residential and commercial cladding.
Where Canada Brick appears in Toronto
Canada Brick has been a premier clay brick manufacturer in Canada since 1954, which means the bulk of GTA residential built between roughly 1960 and 2010 used some Canada Brick product. We see it weekly across our project log:
Subdivision homes from the 1970s through 2000s. Brick veneer over wood framing on standard residential. Most subdivisions in Mississauga, Vaughan, Markham, Brampton, and Pickering used Canada Brick stock for at least part of their masonry envelope.
Custom residential builds. Forest Hill, Rosedale, Oakville custom homes from the 1980s onwards frequently spec’d Canada Brick architectural lines. The custom-colour matching service is the reason — architects could specify exact tones.
Commercial retail. Mid-rise office and retail buildings on the major arteries (Yonge, Bloor, Dundas, Eglinton) from the 1970s through 2000s used Canada Brick for the brick portion of their envelopes.
Heritage matching scope. When restoring 1970s through 1990s residential brick that needs replacement pieces, Canada Brick’s classic and discontinued brick library is often the first place we check for a match. Salvage pre-1930 stock is the Don Valley Brick Works red route; modern post-1960 matching usually goes through Canada Brick.
The exception is pre-1930 heritage. Cabbagetown, the Annex, Riverdale, Roncesvalles, and Leslieville homes were built before Canada Brick existed, so the original brick on those elevations is Don Valley red, Cooksville, or Beamsville stock. Canada Brick is rarely the right match for genuine pre-1930 restoration.
How Canada Brick stacks up against alternatives
Three other major brick manufacturers cover the GTA market alongside Canada Brick:
Brampton Brick. Ontario manufacturer, similar product range, similar price point. The two compete head-to-head on most residential projects. We use both depending on which colour match is closer to what the client wants.
Glen-Gery. Pennsylvania-based, imported into Ontario. Higher-end architectural and custom colour ranges, slightly more expensive. Common on premium custom homes.
Cooksville Brick (historical) and Beamsville (historical). Both produced pre-1990s in Ontario. Their stock now lives in salvage suppliers for heritage matching.
Belden Brick. Imported, high-end colour and texture ranges. Used selectively on architectural projects.
Robinson Brick (Imperial / Pacific Clay). Imported, used mostly for thin brick veneer rather than full-bed face brick.
Canada Brick’s competitive advantage in the GTA is consistent supply, custom colour matching, and the discontinued-brick library. For homeowners, the difference between Canada Brick and Brampton Brick at the install is usually within a few cents per brick — the choice comes down to which colour matches the existing wall best.
Using Canada Brick on a Toronto restoration
Canada Brick is the right call on three common Toronto restoration scenarios:
Replacement on 1970s-2000s subdivision homes. A few damaged bricks on a Mississauga or Vaughan home from that era. Canada Brick’s classic and discontinued library probably has the original colour. We bring a sample of the failed brick to the distributor; they match against current and discontinued stock.
Additions on existing brick homes. A bump-out, garage extension, or wing addition where the new brick has to read as part of the existing house. Canada Brick’s custom-colour service handles this. The match is usually within 5 to 10 percent of the existing wall, which weathers down to imperceptible after a season or two.
Plan an addition with custom architectural detail. Large-format Roman brick, oversize, or custom-colour for a feature wall or accent. Canada Brick architectural line covers the range.
The restoration scenarios where Canada Brick is the wrong call: pre-1930 heritage buildings (use salvage Don Valley red instead), and buildings using imported Glen-Gery or Belden stock from the original construction (match like-with-like through the same import channel).
How brick selection actually works on a project
A typical Canada Brick selection process on our residential project log:
Site visit. We photograph the existing brick (if matching), measure the area to be bricked, and discuss colour preference for new construction.
Sample collection. We pull half a dozen Canada Brick samples from the local distributor that span the colour range close to what the client described or what the existing wall shows. Most distributors keep a sample wall on site.
Second visit, samples in hand. Three or four candidates pinned against the existing wall in different lighting conditions. Morning light, afternoon light, overcast. Brick reads differently across all three.
Final selection and order. Once chosen, the order goes through the distributor. Lead time on standard Canada Brick stock: 1 to 3 weeks. Custom-colour or large-format orders run 4 to 8 weeks.
Delivery and storage. Brick arrives on pallets, wrapped. Stored on dry pallets, off the ground, covered if exposed weather is forecast. A typical Toronto residential project receives 1 to 4 pallets depending on scope.
Installation. Brick goes up course by course on Type N or Type S Portland mortar (ASTM C270), tied to the framing every 16 inches vertical and 32 inches horizontal per CSA A371. Same standards as any other manufacturer.
Brick weathering and how Canada Brick ages
Toronto runs through 30 to 50 freeze-thaw cycles per season according to Environment Canada. Every clay brick on every Toronto exterior wall absorbs water, freezes, expands, and thaws — every year of its service life. Canada Brick stock holds up well to this cycle when the wall is built to spec. The fired clay is dense enough to resist deep water penetration, the colours are pigmented through the body of the brick rather than just on the surface, and the dimensional tolerances allow proper mortar joints.
Where we see Canada Brick walls fail prematurely: substandard mortar (too-hard Portland on softer brick), missing flashing details, or simply age. A Canada Brick veneer wall installed in 1980 with proper Type N mortar and intact flashing should hit 50 years of service before any meaningful repointing. Walls installed with shortcuts fail in 20 to 30. The brick is rarely the limiting factor.
For older walls where the original brick has weathered to a unique shade — typical of 1970s and 1980s Canada Brick installs that have aged 30 to 50 winters — the custom-colour matching service is what allows replacement bricks to disappear into the existing wall rather than stand out as new patches.
Custom colour matching and discontinued brick
The single biggest reason Canada Brick keeps coming up on our project log is the custom-colour matching service. Most homeowners doing restoration or addition work need brick that visually matches what is already on the house. Canada Brick will:
Match against an existing brick sample. The client (or we) bring a piece of the existing wall to the distributor or directly to the manufacturer. The colour and texture get analysed and a match comes back within standard production runs or via a small custom run.
Pull from discontinued inventory. Earlier production runs from the 1970s through 1990s are often available in a “classic and discontinued” library. These are pieces that would otherwise have been written off but were kept for matching purposes.
Run a custom colour. For larger architectural projects, the manufacturer will produce a small batch in a custom colour to match a specific design or restoration requirement. Lead time and minimum order apply.
The matching process matters because mixed-era brick on a single elevation reads obviously wrong if the colours diverge by more than 10 percent. A good match is invisible from the curb. Most homeowners do not realize how much weathering shifts the appearance of a brick over decades, which is why the side-by-side test against the existing wall always beats picking from a catalogue alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada Brick still in business?
Yes. Canada Brick continues to manufacture clay brick in Burlington, Ontario, as part of the Arriscraft group under General Shale. The brand and product lines are active, and the company supplies through Ontario masonry distributors.
Where can I buy Canada Brick in Toronto?
Through any major Ontario masonry supply distributor. Mason’s Masonry Supply Ltd in Mississauga, Brock Aggregates, independent yards across the GTA, and big-box masonry suppliers all carry Canada Brick stock. Direct manufacturer purchase is for commercial-scale orders.
Can Canada Brick match my existing wall?
Often yes, especially on homes built between 1970 and 2010. The custom-colour matching service and discontinued-brick library cover most modern Ontario residential brick. Pre-1930 heritage walls are usually a Don Valley salvage match instead.
What does Canada Brick cost compared to other manufacturers?
Roughly the same as Brampton Brick on standard residential face brick. Architectural and custom-colour lines run higher. Imported brick (Glen-Gery, Belden) typically runs 20 to 40 percent more for comparable products.
Is Canada Brick suitable for chimney repair?
Yes for the exterior face brick portion of a chimney. Refractory firebox lining inside the chimney needs ASTM C27 fireclay refractory brick, which is a separate product. Canada Brick does not make refractory brick; specialty refractory suppliers do.
Are Canada Brick products energy efficient?
Standard fired clay brick has the same thermal mass benefits as any other brick. Canada Brick supplies the brick portion of energy-efficient envelopes; the overall envelope efficiency depends on insulation, air sealing, and window selection rather than the brick itself.
For specific masonry scope, see our brick masonry, brick restoration, brick replacement, brick veneer, and tuckpointing pages.
Need a Toronto mason who works with Canada Brick?
We are a Toronto masonry contractor with over a decade of GTA work, and Canada Brick is one of the manufacturers we install and match against weekly. Whether you need a single-brick replacement on a Mississauga subdivision home, a full restoration on a 1980s custom build, or a brand-new addition that has to read as part of an existing wall, we handle the brick selection, source the right Canada Brick stock from local distributors, and install it to CSA A371 and ASTM C270 standards. Get a free on-site quote or browse our brick services to see the scope. We work across Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Markham, Oakville, Brampton, and the rest of the GTA.