Our History
An ode to our passion for the exquisite. Since 1920, Riviera has been showcasing Canadian know-how.
1920
Riviera’s earliest activities go back 100 years in Sorel-Tracy, in the heart of the Montérégie hill. Joined by her husband Napoleon Chalifoux, Alexandrina Pelletier sells her herd’s surplus milk to villagers.
1945
The small family business, Laiterie Chalifoux, grew. Jean-Paul Chalifoux is one of the first to obtain a pasteurization licence and the right to source milk from farms in his region.
1948
Products are sold from a horse-drawn cart.
1959
The dairy company creates its famous Riviera Cheddar cheese, the first milestone in an ongoing success story in the art of milk processing.
1971
The company processes some four million litres of milk per year, mainly from the watershed of Lac Saint-Pierre, a region that produces a generous feed crop.
1989
The brand is looking to Europe to import a key technology that is essential to its factory : ultrafiltration. Among other things, this technology enables the production of top-quality lactose-free cheeses.
2000
From the artisanal production of its early years, Riviera has maintained an attention to detail, an expert hand, and a connection to the land, while modernizing its facilities.
2015
Since its launch, the Petit Pot collection has stood out by winning several awards, but above all, capturing the hearts of consumers.
2017
With a desire to reaffirm its position as a trendsetter in the dairy sector, Riviera launches its new range of reduced sugar products.
2019
Riviera is innovating and diversifying its product offer with Vegan Delight, an entirely vegan coconut-based range.
2020
Oat-based, are being added to our range of plant-based delicacies.
2021
Maison Riviera embarks on a new phase of its growth. Laiterie Chalifoux is passing the Maison Riviera brand to its long-standing partners, the Coopérative Alsace Lait, to continue the brand’s development.
2023
Thanks to the historical jnow how of Riviera's artisans, the first lactose-free cream cheese from Quebec is born.
2025
Riviera continues its mission to offer delicious and meaningful products for Canadians by launching its first drinking yogurt, made with ©UPcycled ingredients.