Walter & Smith / Wills Brewery lineage
Nelson, British Columbia, Canada · Est. 1892
Tally's Take
Why this matters
Four years and two names in a Kootenay mining town at its loudest. SFU's continuity row dates Walter & Smith 1892–93 and Wills Brewer 1893–96, and keeps the whole thing separate from the Riesterer line that became Nelson Brewing. Two unrelated brewing businesses starting in the same small city within a year of each other is what a mining boom does to a place.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1892Walter & Smith
Separate from the Riesterer/Nelson Brewing lineage.
- 1893Wills Brewer
Same continuity, new name.
- 1896Closed
Four years across both names.
Show your working
Sources
- 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 - historyProbable
Continuity dates as recorded in BC Pass 57: 1892, 1893, 1896.
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.
Straight answers
Common questions about Walter & Smith / Wills Brewery lineage
- Is Walter & Smith / Wills Brewery lineage still open?
- No. Walter & Smith / Wills Brewery lineage has closed. BC Pass 57. SFU continuity row dates Walter & Smith 1892-93 and Wills Brewer 1893-96; separate from the Riesterer/Nelson lineage.
- When was Walter & Smith / Wills Brewery lineage founded?
- Walter & Smith / Wills Brewery lineage was founded in 1892 in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.
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