By SHANNON KELLY

The Olde Angel Inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake was founded in 1789 (Photo: Tourism Niagara-on-the-Lake)

Determining Canada’s oldest bars is a delicate matter. First, it depends on the meaning of “oldest”: Is it the oldest continuously operating pubs? The first bars to open in Canada, despite having closed for a period or having changed names and/or locations?

And then there are the establishments with a fuzzy history: they may have closed, they may not have—no one is quite sure. Not to mention that Canada wasn’t even technically Canada until 1867, so—if you’re one to split hairs—bars opened before that date weren’t Canadian.

You see the problem.

Canada’s oldest bars may be a matter of debate, but there’s no question that these pre-1900 taverns are genuinely historic and worth a visit if you like your pint steeped in tradition.

Go to the pubs »