Gatineau dairy co-op brings Rebelle ice cream to Ottawa market

A Gatineau dairy co-operative is bringing a new ice cream brand to Ottawa as part of a major regional expansion. Laiterie de l'Outaouais, which captured roughly 40 per cent of the milk market in the Outaouais region since its creation in 2006, is investing $17 million over the coming years to scale production and diversify beyond milk.

The co-op was born from crisis. Fifteen years ago, Laiterie Château, a 60-year-old dairy, closed in Gatineau. The regional dairy industry mobilized to form Laiterie de l'Outaouais to keep the sector alive. Four years ago, the board decided to expand into Ottawa and scale the product line—the $17 million investment officially began in 2025 with automation upgrades at the Gatineau facility to double production capacity.

Diversification led the co-op to ice cream. Unsure of their footing, they sent employees to the University of Guelph's food science lab in 2022 to learn the craft. They began by producing ice cream mixes for scoop shops around the region, including La Cigale in Chelsea and Merry Dairy in Ottawa. "We got to improve and really become experts at ice cream last year," CEO Yannick Bouchard said.

The brand is called Rebelle—a nod to the grassroots movement that saved the regional dairy industry fifteen years ago. "Milk is really more conventional. It's a product that you use every day, while ice cream is more about the moment you create, the experience you have," Bouchard explained, describing why they separated the ice cream business under a new name.

Rebelle launched this spring with four flavours—vanilla, chocolate, iced cappuccino, and "Funkky," a play on fruity cereal and milk. Tubs are now available at major grocery chains including Walmart, No Frills, and Your Independent Grocer, alongside two franchise scoop shops in Gatineau operating year-round. The co-op plans to open a franchise in Ottawa next year.