The Label Unwrapped – Brunswick Canning Company

“The Label Unwrapped: The History of Canned Salmon Labels” is the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site’s current feature exhibit, which recently opened in May 2019. In this blog series Shannon King, Manager of Audience Engagement, shares some insight into the new exhibit and the colourful stories behind the labels. 

The Bicycle Brand canning label featured in the first blog of this Label Unwrapped series was created by the Brunswick Canning Company which was formed in 1893 by George Dawson, Alfred J. Buttimer, and George I. Wilson. The company operated three Brunswick Canneries. Brunswick #1 was built in Steveston 1893. In 1897 the company opened Brunswick #2 built at Canoe Pass and Brunswick #3 in Rivers Inlet. All three were sold to the BC Packers Association in 1902 and the two southern canneries closed that year. Brunswick Cannery #3 continued to operate in Rivers Inlet until 1930.

You can see exactly where each of these canneries were located on our interactive cannery map at www.tidestotins.ca, a new virtual exhibit produced by the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society with funding from the Virtual Museums of Canada. In the screen capture image below, Brunswick Cannery #2 has been selected on the interactive map on the From Tides to Tins website.