Lucky Strike Bottling Works Ltd. Vancouver B.C.

[CanadianBottles]

Ah I was wondering if that was what it was referring to, or if it was something with a wider mouth. I don't think I've ever seen those used for a Canadian product, that'd be an interesting one to find if any of the Lucky Strikes are still out there.
Now that you mention it I have a vague memory of once seeing a crown with a horseshoe on it, are the bottles a plain design with a white ACL?

 

[Canadacan]

I've never seen a Canadian soda in one of those, that's what really struck me as odd. If you fefer to the ad it says 'LOOK FOR MISSION BEVERAGES' … so at this point they weren't doing anything with an in house brand. I think those USA bottles did have white labels on plain bottles.

 

[Canadacan]

Pouring over the archives and the earliest mention so far of Lucky Strike for the USA is 1951 and it's actually the Lucky Strike Ginger Ale Co.
So I'm leaning ever further that any affiliation was possible.

Lucky Strike orange- New Hampshire- Nashua Telegraph, 23 Jan 1951.

 

[Canadacan]

Ok I found an add from 1950, same newspaper as above post, it's pretty lengthy to post but it is describing the day to day operations of the company and the founder Joseph Simoneau went on to say he started the company 28 years ago! so that's 1922 then, strange I have not found too many ads for the company.
And an interesting twist I found a photo of a waxed carton for quart bottles, not flavor specific...but the amazing part is the statement 'Reg US Pat off and Canada'.
So there is a possible connection....but at this point I'm still grasping!...lol

 

[CanadianBottles]

Oh that's interesting! 1922 is really early, I'm surprised I've never seen any earlier sign of it as well. I wonder if maybe they were operating under a different name then? Or maybe it grew out of an earlier franchise?
As for the box, do you know which of the Lucky Strikes it came from? There could be a connection, but it seems so odd for the US one to be based in New Hampshire and the Canadian one to be based in BC. Maybe they registered their logo in both countries in anticipation of a possible expansion?

 

[Canadacan]

Yea it's a strange thing, the distance that is. There was also a Lucky Strike in many places in California...the ads running in the 50's, but it seems that it was a grocery store chain brand, Lucky Cardinal Division and Cardinal was a division of Lucky Stores Inc., so I can't see that being any connection.
Found this advertisement that mentions it was sold in Canada...but this still doesn't confirm that it was any affiliation.

Lucky Strike Beverages-New Hampshire-Nashua Telegraph, 07 Jun 1951, Thu, Page 21

 

[Canadacan]

Jumping back to the Brand name it's self all I had ever seen in Canada were the 12oz cone tops. But I found this very interesting!...they did bottle the brand as well!
So far this is the earliest ad was for 1939, offering ginger ale in pints...which is such an oddball size equating to about a 20oz?, a small quart I guess...but there it is!
Apple Beverage is the only other product I've seen in the papers. I would love to see what a Vancouver label looked like!....it's killing me not to see one!..lol

Lucky Strike- Surrey Leader, 20 Dec 1939, Wed, Page 6



The next ad I found was from 1944 for Apple Beverage.
Lucky Strike- The Vancouver Sun, 17 Jul 1944, Mon, Page 5




And still rolling along in 1952 right up there with Gurd's!...this time in big 30oz er!
Lucky Strike-The Vancouver Sun, 10 Dec 1952, Wed, Page 14

 

[Canadacan]

Here is another advertisement again from 1944 for the apple beverage, I like how it mentions that it's made with B.C. apples.
The bottle label however does not depict a horse shoe like I was hoping.

Lucky Strike- The Vancouver Sun, 05 Sep 1944, Tue, Page 5

 

[CanadianBottles]

Oh that ad with the picture of the label is great! I'm guessing that was something like the modern day sparkling apple juice? I really wish we could find a surviving bottle! And the line about "New England and Canada" cements my thinking that the two brands are unrelated. I imagine that if they were starting to engage in franchising they would have mentioned it in that piece, and if they had a franchise option they probably wouldn't talk about serving customers directly.

 

[Canadacan]

Something interesting...and a pretty strong connection, was the fact that the side of the Lucky Strike Bottlers truck has the wording Lucky Strike Lime ______? <Rickey.
The truck photo is from c1940-47
Now I discover this ad for????...yes Lime Ricky!...the ad is dated 1944. Now I know it's still not concrete evidence but by no means is this a big stretch either.





Lucky Strike- Lime Rickey- The Vancouver Sun, 21 Dec 1944, Thu, Page 15




[SUB]Just to touch on something worthy of noting was that the USA Lucky Strike had a full flavor line as per this section of article....love that Canada-styled Cream Soda!
Lucky Strike- USA- Nashua Telegraph, 27 Jul 1951.
[/SUB]