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British Columbia Breweries Limited / Brewers and Distillers of Vancouver

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Also known as Brewers and Distillers of Vancouver, British Columbia Breweries (1918) Ltd., Brewers & Distillers of Vancouver

Closed · 1953Ownership unknownMicrobrewery
Founded
1911
Closed
1953
Archive ID
TB-WWM3HGW9
Last checked
Not yet checked

Who owns this brewery?

Not yet establishedNot yet established

The archive is still digging. That is a gap in the research, not a finding of independence.

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01

From the record

Summary

SFU Archives states British Columbia Breweries Limited was established February 20, 1911 through amalgamation of three B.C. Brewing companies; Vancouver Breweries remained its brewing division. SFU archival authority dates the corporate relationship through 1953. Corporate succession after 1911 is recorded as dated events rather than a single owner field: British investor ownership, receivership approximately 1915-1918, reorganization under Henry Reifel in 1918, and later association with Western Canada Breweries, Canadian Breweries under E.P. Taylor, Carling and Carling O Keefe. Several of those transitions are UNCONFIRMED as to date and mechanism. Corporate succession is recorded separately from site lifecycle: the Yew Street plant continued operating and closed in 1990.

A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.

Ownership & corporate history

  1. Vancouver Breweries Limited merged inFebruary 1911
    What the sources say

    SFU Archives states British Columbia Breweries Limited was established 20 February 1911 through amalgamation of three B.C. brewing companies. Corporate succession only — this event says nothing about whether the brands or brewing sites ceased, which are recorded separately.

  2. Owned by British investor ownership1911

    Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.

    What the sources say

    British investor ownership is indicated following the 1911 amalgamation. The investing entity is not named in the evidence held and no acquisition mechanism or precise date is established.

  3. Controlled by Receivership1915 – 1918

    Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.

    What the sources say

    Receivership approximately 1915-1918. Both endpoints are approximate in the evidence held; neither is a confirmed date.

  4. Controlled by Henry Reifel1918

    Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.

    What the sources say

    Reorganization under Henry Reifel in 1918. Recorded as control and reorganization rather than a purchase: the legal mechanism is not established by the evidence held, and calling it an acquisition would assert one.

  5. Reorganised as Brewers and Distillers of Vancouver1918

    Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.

    What the sources say

    The existing archive record carries 'Brewers and Distillers of Vancouver' as an alternate name for this entity, which is consistent with a reorganization rather than a separate company. The exact corporate relationship is not established.

  6. Succeeded by Western Canada BreweriesDate unknown

    Open questionRecorded, not yet proven. It stays open until a source settles it.

    What the sources say

    Named in the corporate lineage. No date, mechanism or source establishing the transition is held, so none is asserted.

  7. Acquired by Canadian Breweries LimitedDate unknown

    Open questionRecorded, not yet proven. It stays open until a source settles it.

    What the sources say

    Canadian Breweries under E.P. Taylor consolidated Canadian brewing from the 1930s. The date and mechanism of this specific transition are not established here.

Ownership history is kept as dated events, so a change of owner never overwrites the one before it.

02

The Museum

Timeline

  1. 1911
    A holding company of four

    Formed "February 20, 1911, as a holding company" of "Union Brewing Co. Ltd. (Nanaimo, 1891-1919)", "Vancouver Breweries Ltd. (1900-1949)", "Canadian Brewing & Malting Co., Ltd. (1908-1918)" and "Pilsner Brewing Co. (Cumberland, 1909-1916, added May 1911)" — from a share certificate of 28 June 1913. Victoria Phoenix, a Westminster brewery and Silver Spring of Victoria were looked for as members and not found.

  2. 1912
    British-backed; renamed

    On "November 1, 1912, the firm was sold to a British-backed firm and renamed British Columbia Breweries Ltd."

  3. 1915
    Receivership, liquidation, rebirth

    Receivership in 1915; liquidated 1917; reorganised as "British Columbia Breweries (1918) Ltd.", then "Brewers & Distillers of Vancouver" in 1923 under Henry Reifel (president 1918-1933).

  4. 1953
    The record's end year

    The record ends in 1953; no source read names the event. UNKNOWN.

03

The People

Behind the beer

Henry Reifel
Reorganization / control

Associated with Canadian Brewing and Malting; reorganized the Vancouver brewing interests in 1918.

08

Show your working

Sources

  1. recordProbable

    Brewery record taken from Tally's British Columbia master, Pass 57, which cited https://atom.archives.sfu.ca/british-columbia-brewers-ltd for this entry. The cited page has not been opened by the archive.

    Tally's British Columbia master, Pass 57 (research workbook) · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026

    CommercialMedium reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-19
    Claim last checked 2026-08-19

Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.

09

Straight answers

Common questions about British Columbia Breweries Limited / Brewers and Distillers of Vancouver

Is British Columbia Breweries Limited / Brewers and Distillers of Vancouver still open?
No. British Columbia Breweries Limited / Brewers and Distillers of Vancouver has closed (1953). SFU Archives states British Columbia Breweries Limited was established February 20, 1911 through amalgamation of three B.C. Brewing companies; Vancouver Breweries remained its brewing division. SFU archival authority dates the corporate relationship through 1953. Corporate succession after 1911 is recorded as dated events rather than a single owner field: British investor ownership, receivership approximately 1915-1918, reorganization under Henry Reifel in 1918, and later association with Western Canada Breweries, Canadian Breweries under E.P. Taylor, Carling and Carling O Keefe. Several of those transitions are UNCONFIRMED as to date and mechanism. Corporate succession is recorded separately from site lifecycle: the Yew Street plant continued operating and closed in 1990.
When was British Columbia Breweries Limited / Brewers and Distillers of Vancouver founded?
British Columbia Breweries Limited / Brewers and Distillers of Vancouver was founded in 1911 in Vancouver, Canada.
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