Vancouver Brewery (Victoria)

Named for the island, not the city — Vancouver was not incorporated until 1886, three years after Thomas and Robert Carter opened this on the 500 block of Herald Street. The Victoria Historical Society records it taking medals for ale and porter at international exhibitions, which for a colonial brewery meant shipping beer far enough to be judged against Europe's. Eleven years, and one of the few Victoria breweries of its era with named brewers attached to it.

1. 1883
   The Carters open on Herald Street

   Thomas and Robert Carter, 500 block of Herald Street.

2. 1886
   A city takes the name

   Vancouver is incorporated on the mainland; the brewery was named for the island.

3. 1894
   Closed

   Eleven years, after medals for ale and porter at international exhibitions.

Sources

1. recordProbable

   Brewery record taken from Tally's British Columbia master, Pass 57, which cited https://www.sfu.ca/archives/archives-program/research/bc-beer-history-archive/bc-beer-history-archive-resources/timeline-pre-prohibition.html 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 reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-19Reviewed 2026-08-19
2. historyProbable

   Lineage dates from SFU's BC Beer History Archive as recorded in BC Pass 57: 1883, 1886, 1894.

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

   CommercialMedium reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-19Reviewed 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.