Local Montreal mustard favorite La Morin ‘desperately’ needs help months after water main break

La Morin is a local Montreal business known for its world-renowned mustard; it was destroyed when a water main burst in August, near downtown, created a geyser close to the Jacques Cartier Bridge and flooded the streets, homes, and businesses in the area.

La Morin’s owner, Julien Morin lost $300,000 worth of their inventory. Then, a 48-hour notice to vacate because the commercial space they’d been renting was declared unsanitary, another surprise bill they footed.

“As of today, two months and one week, we still did not receive any real concrete help,” said Julien Morin, founder of Mustard La Morin.

“So, we lost a large portion of the inventory, and it damaged the production site, we had to move on our own expense. We’ve been doing everything we could. We reached out to the city; we filed a claim. It was really complicated to file the claim,” added Morin.

Morin says it took him at least 40 hours to fill out the required paperwork. He’s doing everything he possibly can to keep his small business afloat.

“We’re producing at the bare minimum to keep our contracts alive. We’re selling around 800 points of sale in all of Quebec. So, shelf space is really important for us. Those contracts are really important. If we lose this space, we know we might have another company that is not from Quebec that’s going to take our place,” said Morin.

Family roots

The company was founded during the pandemic in 2019, after Morin lost his job as a commercial airline pilot. He had initially created the recipe for his grandfather.

“He came into Quebec in the fifties, and he was always looking for the real mustard that goes up to the nose and it was like a competition with my father and me, and we’d bring the mustard to him,” said Morin.

“For six months I worked on my recipe, and finally he had the chance to taste it, and I remember this moment with great emotion, because he tasted it, and I saw, the little tear on the side of his eye, and I knew, I had something,” he said.

The mustard making process takes several days. It starts with raw Canadian mustard seeds which are ground and mixed with water, vinegar and spices. Then it’s mixed to obtain a good texture.

Morin tastes every batch to ensure the quality.

“As of today, we’re proud to say that last year we won the prize of the best mustard in the world. We are exporting into Europe. So, despite all this, our efforts has been recognized and we are dedicated to maintaining this quality.”

City News reached out to the City of Montreal for comment and received this email reply from Public Relations Officer Gonzalo Nunez:

“357 claim files of various kinds have been opened in connection with the water pipe break on August 16, 2024. Legal department resources are fully mobilized to process the numerous claims as quickly as possible. Analysis of the claims received is still in progress. The City does not comment on individual claim files.”

Morin isn’t satisfied, “what we need is the proper support,” he added.

“Who is responsible? Is it normal that in 2024 a water main breaks? And small companies are affected to the point that they might close. I mean, we are waiting for some help. We desperately need some support. And we hope that the city will reach us with real, concrete support,” said Morin.