# Rideau Bottling co - Smith Falls Ontario



## RCO (Jan 9, 2018)

one of my more interesting finds , had found this bottle late in 2017 at an antique store but hadn't got around to posting it .   the bottle design itself is generic in nature and was widely used in Canada but its still very interesting , also had never seen this bottle before , only one I've ever come across 


its for " Rideau Bottling co" Smith Falls Ontario  , according to my book this bottler operated from 1930-1935 . the town of smith falls at that time , was a bit busier , more manufacturing and a railway stop. so there seems to have been a number of bottlers that operated there over the years. 


the Rideau Canal and river , also runs thru the town . so the name of Rideau bottling co makes sense for the area.


on the very bottom of bottle , is an " RBC " marking and a consumers glass triangle


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## RCO (Jan 9, 2018)

here is a clearer picture of the embossing


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## Canadacan (Jan 9, 2018)

I still only have one bottle in that style for all of western Canada.


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## RCO (Jan 10, 2018)

Canadacan said:


> I still only have one bottle in that style for all of western Canada.



true a more common design in Ontario than other provinces in Canada , although I'm sure there is some out there from western and eastern Canada that I just haven't seen yet

 ( in 2017 from Ontario I identified 4 bottlers using the bottle I had never seen before , this one , the D Cola bottle I posted , savoy beverages Oshawa and one from Welland Ontario )


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## RCO (Jan 10, 2018)

don't think I ever posted the one from Welland Ontario , saw it on ebay , but seller had really poor pictures of it , was for Ontario Soda Water , Welland , Tel213 on bottle . this is the only picture I have but it definitely exists


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## CanadianBottles (Jan 11, 2018)

Nice find!  I think I was aware of that one existing but never saw one in person.  I don't have any bottles from Smith's Falls, only milk caps.

And Canadacan as far as I know there are only two bottles in this style that were used in BC and neither is easy to find.  I have no idea about the Prairies but have never seen one from there.


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## Canadacan (Jan 12, 2018)

Yes CB that's right, just two for BC...never seen any more, one was that Nanaimo Bottling Works and the other was the Old English Beverages I picked up last year. Both are quite scarce.


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## RCO (Jan 12, 2018)

CanadianBottles said:


> Nice find!  I think I was aware of that one existing but never saw one in person.  I don't have any bottles from Smith's Falls, only milk caps.
> 
> And Canadacan as far as I know there are only two bottles in this style that were used in BC and neither is easy to find.  I have no idea about the Prairies but have never seen one from there.



was aware of the listings in book for smiths falls but not sure what types of bottles they used , also recall seeing a "barker brothers " bottle from smith falls , its very plain , clear bottle , 

also a few older pre 1920's bottles from smiths falls , several different bottles , F Conlin and R Irvine seem to be more common 

not sure if this bottle is related to Rideau Beverage ltd  from smiths falls , they lasted into the 60's and have an acl bottle but might also have an embossed bottle and I just haven't seen it as they appeared to have started in 1933


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## RCO (Jan 12, 2018)

Canadacan said:


> Yes CB that's right, just two for BC...never seen any more, one was that Nanaimo Bottling Works and the other was the Old English Beverages I picked up last year. Both are quite scarce.




the only 2 , I know of from BC are the 2 bottles you mentioned from Vancouver Island , haven't seen any others from Western Canada and there may not be any others , but is so many short lived bottles in smaller towns/cities we don't know a lot about its hard to say no others might exist 


most seem to be from Ontario , I don't know of any from Quebec and unsure if any exist . is definitely at least 1 from the east coast . saw a picture of one from Northern New Brunswick a while back  , from a small bottler and its for sure the same design


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## mctaggart67 (Jan 12, 2018)

J.W. Anderson, Sarnia, Ontario also used the panel style bottle.


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## CanadianBottles (Jan 12, 2018)

Ohh actually I think I might have that ACL Rideau bottle.  So if that's the case I was wrong about not having anything from Smith's Falls.  I think I picked that one up last year in Almonte.  And wait, there's an R. Irvine bottle from Smith's Falls?  I've got bottles of theirs from Ottawa and Toronto but never seen anything marked Smith's Falls.


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## RCO (Jan 12, 2018)

mctaggart67 said:


> J.W. Anderson, Sarnia, Ontario also used the panel style bottle.



don't have one but have seen it before , but have a picture of it , don't have any Sarnia bottles , likely too far away for any to have traveled up here


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## RCO (Jan 12, 2018)

CanadianBottles said:


> Ohh actually I think I might have that ACL Rideau bottle.  So if that's the case I was wrong about not having anything from Smith's Falls.  I think I picked that one up last year in Almonte.  And wait, there's an R. Irvine bottle from Smith's Falls?  I've got bottles of theirs from Ottawa and Toronto but never seen anything marked Smith's Falls.



R Irvine was in smiths falls from 1896-1909 according to book , haven't seen the bottle that many times , maybe a couple over the years so it might not be that common  , there was one on ebay last year , have a picture of that one


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## RCO (Jan 12, 2018)

also looked thru the Ontario soda water book I have , it came out in the 70's and lists a lot of Ontario bottles and gives a brief description of them ,

looked all thru to try and see if any might be panel style bottles I didn't know about yet , but they didn't seem to list that many of them 

although 2 did stand out as a possibility , is a listing for a Cobourg Bottling Works , type crown , colour -clear , height 7 inches 3/4 , front - contents 7oz , Cobourg (vertical ) Bottling works ( vertical ) Cobourg Ont ( vertical )   

now I've never seen this bottle so not sure but its height is the same as the others , also the fact the lettering is vertical would seem right ( by the 30's wasn't many other bottles using the vertical lettering style ) but 7oz is a bit bigger than the others . 

also from right time period as other book lists this bottler as 1928-1938 


other Crescent Bottling Works from Niagara Falls I think although could be fort William 

listing type crown , colour - clear , height 7 inches 3/4 , neck - contents 6 1/2 fl oz , front - crescent bottling works ( all vertical )  

its description matches the other panel bottles exactly  and other books lists them as 1926-1940 in Niagara falls


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## Canadacan (Jan 13, 2018)

I noticed this one today......


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## RCO (Jan 14, 2018)

funny so did I and now its in my window , it came up in google results when I tried to search for the Cobourg bottle , both used bottling works in name , happened to pass thru the Oshawa area this weekend anyways so I was able to pick it up on Saturday 

not sure if its worth $20 or not but I paid seller what he wanted to avoid any hassles , as I often have horrible luck with people off kiijji , ( feel like I recall seeing one at the Toronto bottle show but it could of been the Renfrew bottle as it has a similar name ) 

according to book the Oshawa bottling works lasted until 1938 and then it seems to have changed names to Savoy beverages and continued to use the same bottle until the late 40's , so this bottle was likely used in the 30's and maybe that makes it harder to find being depression era


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## Canadacan (Jan 14, 2018)

Haha!!..hey good for you that it worked out so you could get the bottle!


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## RCO (Jan 14, 2018)

( from a 1911 era book about Oshawa , bit earlier than this bottle but some history about the company )



OSHAWA BOTTLING WORKS.
Ford Martin, Proprietor.
In the manufacture of soft drinks the name
of the Oshawa Bottling Works is a prominent
one, and the trade done by this house extends
all through this section of the country. The
business was established about fifteen years
ago, although Mr. Ford Martin, the present
proprietor, has just recently taken possession
of it. The bottling works are situated at 9
Bond St., and are well equipped with modern
mixing, washing and bottling machines,
run by steam. The success of the business is
based entirely on the merits of the goods
turned out, fifteen different kinds of drinks
being made.
Mr. Martin is largely increasing his trade
among hotels, restaurants and private families
who want the best in carbonated waters,
ginger ale, ginger beer, etc. The entire plant
is kept in the cleanest and most sanitary
condition possible, and this, together with the
modern machinery used, and the purest of ingredients,
tend to make summer drinks which
are the equal of any on the market.



http://localhistory.oshawalibrary.ca/pdfportal/pdfskins/OshawaIllustrated/pg_0026.pdf


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## CanadianBottles (Jan 15, 2018)

RCO said:


> R Irvine was in smiths falls from 1896-1909 according to book , haven't seen the bottle that many times , maybe a couple over the years so it might not be that common  , there was one on ebay last year , have a picture of that one
> 
> 
> View attachment 181111



Oh cool!  I'll have to keep an eye out for that one, never seen one in person before.  Do you know if there were any other locations that Irvine operated out of?  Even three locations was quite impressive for that era for a non-franchise independent Canadian bottler.


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## RCO (Jan 15, 2018)

I don't think there was any other R Irvine locations , my book only lists those 3 and can't recall ever seeing any other bottles


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## DeepSeaDan (Jan 17, 2018)

That's a cool-looking bottle you have there RCO! So how do you search for glass - digging, diving, yard sales? A combination thereof? BTW, I posted a pic of that mineral water bottle's design back on that other thread - sorry I took so long to answer your query!


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## RCO (Jan 17, 2018)

DeepSeaDan said:


> That's a cool-looking bottle you have there RCO! So how do you search for glass - digging, diving, yard sales? A combination thereof? BTW, I posted a pic of that mineral water bottle's design back on that other thread - sorry I took so long to answer your query!



I have found bottles when swimming or digging before , but during the winter limited to antique malls , online listings etc 

after I posted that comment I realised it was a St Leon's mineral water bottle , though it might of been from a smaller town instead


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## JKL (Mar 20, 2018)

I'm new to this blog.  I love it.
I collect pop bottles only.  Reside in Kitchener Ontario.  I found a similar shape bottle in Cambridge for Norton Drinx Kitchener.  Only one I have ever seen.  I love Ontario pop bottles and learning the history of the bottler.


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## RCO (Mar 21, 2018)

did you find it in the wild or at an antique store ? 

I don't have the Norton's bottle but was aware of its existence 

if you want to learn about the bottlers , the best way to do so . would be to acquire some bottle books . the Ontario pop bottlers list 1931-1965 has a lot of info . is also some older books from the 70's era and a more recent book on Toronto bottles that came out in 2000's


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## JKL (Mar 21, 2018)

Thanks for the  book titles.  I looked up the Ontario Pop Bottlers list on Amazon but no luck.  Very hard to Google the bottlers and find information.  The Norton's bottle was a random find at an antique store in Cambridge Ont last October.  I rummaged through a few old farm dumps in Northern Ontario having grown up there in the 70's-early 80's. But many came as gifts and flea market/garage sale finds.  Currently sitting at 800 bottles.  Will start building a catalogue.  I have some very nice bottles.  I'm not as concerned about values, I just love looking at them.


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## RCO (Mar 21, 2018)

JKL said:


> Thanks for the  book titles.  I looked up the Ontario Pop Bottlers list on Amazon but no luck.  Very hard to Google the bottlers and find information.  The Norton's bottle was a random find at an antique store in Cambridge Ont last October.  I rummaged through a few old farm dumps in Northern Ontario having grown up there in the 70's-early 80's. But many came as gifts and flea market/garage sale finds.  Currently sitting at 800 bottles.  Will start building a catalogue.  I have some very nice bottles.  I'm not as concerned about values, I just love looking at them.




that's a fairly large collection , farm dumps can sometimes yield some good finds 

I can recall there being a couple different antique stores in Cambridge , know there was one downtown and green spot antiques , as well there is a large antique mall ( southworks ) . used to be in an old factory but has moved somewhere else , I haven't been in the new location yet 

if you have any bottles your unsure about , post them here and someone might know more about them , if there from Ontario its likely I can find some info on them


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