Canadacan
Well-Known Member
I'm telling this story as best I can in honor of Bob Williamson the son of Bill Williamson co founder of Lucky Strike Bottling Works limited. Some of this information is from email correspondence with Bob, some of it is my research to fill in a few blanks, as with much research we often find details that are missing from the original story but most of this is pretty much to the point.
While it is sad this business venture came to an end for Bill and his son Bob, but what blossomed from that was the start of the Shasta Beverages Ltd company and the birth of canned soda pop in western Canada, that too is one of the greatest stories to be told that I hope to eventually tell.
Lucky Strike Bottling Works Ltd. Vancouver B.C.
This short lived company was formed in the summer of 1937 by Jack Christensen and Bill Williamson. The first location was at 214 W Broadway for a couple of years and later moved to 26th & Main, the final location was at 2120 Kingsway...I believe that was approxemently 1946 or so. They were a Mission Orange bottler and at the time when located at Kingsway the building had a fantastic neon sign! (see photo)
2023-02-19 edit note: the canning of Lucky Strike may have been closer to the years 1957-1958, as per advertising found dated, 'Now in Cans' Jan-June 1957, and June 26, 1958 Safeway ad.
Around 1952-54 they canned their house brand (I believe it was a house brand) Lucky Strike in cone top cans which were sent all across B.C. to various fish canneries, mining camps, and logging camps. This was a good way to supply product in a throw away container as previously they shipped a lot of product in returnable bottles from Steveston by boat but it became too costly thus necessitated a more economical method, which was the cone top can!
The beginning of the end as told by the son of Bill, whom also worked for the company, that Jack's sons (also worked for them) and did not see eye to eye, and quarrelled quite a bit so Bill allowed himself to be bought out and the business suffered as a result until they finally went broke. Bob recalled that was around 1957, but newsprint articles from May 1964 show the ordered Tender sale of the assets, including property, bottling line, compressors, washers, bottles...everything including the bottling rights to Mission Orange. So I guess the company did struggle along for a while longer than remembered.
Bill left the company to start on another venture at around 1955-56 that company became Shasta Beverages Limited, Vancouver B.C. ,So the
story does not end here though...but that's for another time!
Lucky Strike Bottling 2120 Kingsway, Vancouver B.C. -Check out that Mission Beverages bottle sign!
Bottom left Jack Christensen and Bill Williamson is center, son's of Jack bottom right Clyde and above him is Lyle.
Far left is Jack Christensen and Bill Williamson is far right.
Far left is Bill Williamson and far right is Jack Christensen
Bill Williamson
Here is a nice photo of the fleet!
The phone number on the truck matches the address for 195 E 26 & Main so I believe this photo to be from the 1940-47 time frame.
Lucky Strike Incorporation- The Vancouver Sun, 13 Aug 1937
Lucky Strike-Mission orange-The Vancouver Sun, 17 Jul 1952.
The Chilliwack Progress, 12 Jun 1957
Lucky Strike-Mission Beverages- The Vancouver Sun, 10 Aug 1961. This seemed like
an odd advertising for the Glass Can which was a neckless NDNR bottle more commonly
used by breweries in the USA at the time.
And this is one part of four describing the assets being sold off.
Lucky Strike-forclosure1-The Vancouver Sun, 02 May 1964, Sat.
And here are the few items that I have from Lucky Strike, I'd sure love to find a carton and maybe a crate one day!
While it is sad this business venture came to an end for Bill and his son Bob, but what blossomed from that was the start of the Shasta Beverages Ltd company and the birth of canned soda pop in western Canada, that too is one of the greatest stories to be told that I hope to eventually tell.
Lucky Strike Bottling Works Ltd. Vancouver B.C.
This short lived company was formed in the summer of 1937 by Jack Christensen and Bill Williamson. The first location was at 214 W Broadway for a couple of years and later moved to 26th & Main, the final location was at 2120 Kingsway...I believe that was approxemently 1946 or so. They were a Mission Orange bottler and at the time when located at Kingsway the building had a fantastic neon sign! (see photo)
2023-02-19 edit note: the canning of Lucky Strike may have been closer to the years 1957-1958, as per advertising found dated, 'Now in Cans' Jan-June 1957, and June 26, 1958 Safeway ad.
Around 1952-54 they canned their house brand (I believe it was a house brand) Lucky Strike in cone top cans which were sent all across B.C. to various fish canneries, mining camps, and logging camps. This was a good way to supply product in a throw away container as previously they shipped a lot of product in returnable bottles from Steveston by boat but it became too costly thus necessitated a more economical method, which was the cone top can!
The beginning of the end as told by the son of Bill, whom also worked for the company, that Jack's sons (also worked for them) and did not see eye to eye, and quarrelled quite a bit so Bill allowed himself to be bought out and the business suffered as a result until they finally went broke. Bob recalled that was around 1957, but newsprint articles from May 1964 show the ordered Tender sale of the assets, including property, bottling line, compressors, washers, bottles...everything including the bottling rights to Mission Orange. So I guess the company did struggle along for a while longer than remembered.
Bill left the company to start on another venture at around 1955-56 that company became Shasta Beverages Limited, Vancouver B.C. ,So the
story does not end here though...but that's for another time!
Lucky Strike Bottling 2120 Kingsway, Vancouver B.C. -Check out that Mission Beverages bottle sign!
Bottom left Jack Christensen and Bill Williamson is center, son's of Jack bottom right Clyde and above him is Lyle.
Far left is Jack Christensen and Bill Williamson is far right.
Far left is Bill Williamson and far right is Jack Christensen
Bill Williamson
Here is a nice photo of the fleet!
The phone number on the truck matches the address for 195 E 26 & Main so I believe this photo to be from the 1940-47 time frame.
Lucky Strike Incorporation- The Vancouver Sun, 13 Aug 1937
Lucky Strike-Mission orange-The Vancouver Sun, 17 Jul 1952.
The Chilliwack Progress, 12 Jun 1957
Lucky Strike-Mission Beverages- The Vancouver Sun, 10 Aug 1961. This seemed like
an odd advertising for the Glass Can which was a neckless NDNR bottle more commonly
used by breweries in the USA at the time.
And this is one part of four describing the assets being sold off.
Lucky Strike-forclosure1-The Vancouver Sun, 02 May 1964, Sat.
And here are the few items that I have from Lucky Strike, I'd sure love to find a carton and maybe a crate one day!
Last edited:
