Zero Bottling Works, Winnipeg, Manitoba

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Raypadua

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I'm from Winnipeg Canadacan!

According R.E. Stock's book - "A History of Carbonated Beverages in Winnipeg"

"The Wishing Well Soft Drink Company started in Winnipeg in 1938, and was located at 1325 Portage Avenue. Wishing Well soft drinks were actually a product of the National Dry Limited, an eastern company. The bottling and distribution was taken over by Zero Bottling Works , in Winnipeg.

It goes on to say Zero Bottling Works started in Winnipeg in 1929, and was located at 85 Euclid Street. In 1930, Zero moved to 90 Lorne Avenue. Zero Bottling Works remained at this address until the 1960's."

So, Canadian Bottles, from the above I would imagine Zero took over ALL of the bottling and distribution of Wishing Well nationally even though it was a product of National Dry. Does that make sense? Do your other wishing Well bottles have any locations other than Winnipeg on them?
 

Raypadua

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I've seen the embossed zero bottle online before but don't really know much about it , never seen the 30 oz before

Winnipeg was fairly big and a central city for that area , so not surprising it had a number of different bottlers

Apparently there were almost 40 bottlers of carbonated beverages operating in Winnipeg at various times from the 1870's onward!!! Many more if you include other Manitoba cities like Brandon and Selkirk.
 

HouTxSoda

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Here is some similar artwork from a Conroe Texas soda :

s-l1600.jpg


s-l1600.jpg
 

Canadacan

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Raypadua here is that add from 1941 for Wishing Well by Zero bottling.

Wishing Well- The Winnipeg Tribune, 10 Jun 1941, Tue.jpg
 

CanadianBottles

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So, Canadian Bottles, from the above I would imagine Zero took over ALL of the bottling and distribution of Wishing Well nationally even though it was a product of National Dry. Does that make sense? Do your other wishing Well bottles have any locations other than Winnipeg on them?
No that's not how it would have worked, Stock means that they took over bottling and distribution for that location. Nation-wide distribution out of one factory wasn't really done in those days... or even today, apart from the odd independent bottler. It was probably a franchise bottled by different local bottlers across the country, with Zero handling bottling and distribution for Manitoba. To my knowledge the Wishing Well bottles were never marked with local bottlers, just with National Dry on the base. Most national brands in Canada didn't have different markings for different cities, the main exception being 7-Up.
 

Canadacan

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No that's not how it would have worked, Stock means that they took over bottling and distribution for that location. Nation-wide distribution out of one factory wasn't really done in those days... or even today, apart from the odd independent bottler. It was probably a franchise bottled by different local bottlers across the country, with Zero handling bottling and distribution for Manitoba. To my knowledge the Wishing Well bottles were never marked with local bottlers, just with National Dry on the base. Most national brands in Canada didn't have different markings for different cities, the main exception being 7-Up.

I concur, they only looked after Winnipeg and maybe some of the surrounding area, I'm sure other small towns bottled it independently as well, tp my knowledge none of the embossed Wishing Well bottles are marked, the two ACL's I have are marked National Dry- London, Ont.
As CC stated the exception being 7up...the only other brands I can think of that have a couple of cities would be , Suncrest, Mission, Jamaica Dry, Wynola, 2-Way, and Kist....possibly Nugrape had a few?...Coke only 4?
But for sure 7up has quite a few...how many?..I'm not sure but I was documenting that at one time!..lol
 
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Canadacan

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Another interesting thing is Zero was a Smile bottler as well...that was pretty early and I don't know how long they bottled it. I have a Smile bottle and it was in my trade bottles...assumed it was an Ontario item only, but now with this new information I'll be adding it to my Manitoba/Zero collection!

And it would appear that Zero became the exclusive bottler for Red Rock Cola in 1946!


Zero Bottling Works-The Winnipeg Tribune, 20 May 1932, Fri, Page 23
Zero Bottling Works-The Winnipeg Tribune, 20 May 1932, Fri, Page 23 .jpg

6.5oz Smile- Dominion glass- possible 1946
20180919_223226.jpg

Zero Bottling Works-Red Rock Cola- The Winnipeg Tribune, 7 Mar 1946, Thu (2)
Zero Bottling Works-Red Rock Cola-  The Winnipeg Tribune, 7 Mar 1946, Thu (2).jpg
 

Raypadua

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That's fantastic info! Someone here is selling a case of Wishing Well bottles in a Zero/Red Rock Crate. $200 so I just get to look at it :)

Red Rock Crate.jpgRed Rock - Zero Bottling Crate.jpgWishing Well Bottles.jpg


Love the Smile bottle!!! Haven't seen one of those around here yet. Off to hunt some down!
 

CanadianBottles

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As CC stated the exception being 7up...the only other brands I can think of that have a couple of cities would be , Suncrest, Mission, Jamaica Dry, Wynola, 2-Way, and Kist....possibly Nugrape had a few?...Coke only 4?
But for sure 7up has quite a few...how many?..I'm not sure but I was documenting that at one time!..lol

There are a few others... Mr., Delaware Punch, and Tall come to mind. I'm sure I'm missing some but can't think of any others off the top of my head. There were a number of really small franchises that never took off, and those are more likely to be marked than the national brands.

Edit: Nesbitt's as well.
 
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