# Western Canadian Soft Drink Association -bottles 1972-1985



## Canadacan (Jan 16, 2015)

My set is still missing 1972 Calgary and 1974 Winnipeg, but I hope to one day locate them. I started collecting them about 15 years ago and in the last couple of years managed to track down many of the missing bottles. The  *Canadian Soft Drink Association* was formed in 1969 so it is possible that I am missing bottles prior to 1972...and a possibility that a few bottles were made past 1985, but to this day I have not seen any.  [attachment=WCSDA - Copy.jpg]


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## Canadacan (Jan 16, 2015)

Here is a little history from the association which has changed names a few times over the years.http://www.canadianbeverage.ca/about-us/who-we-are/ CBA COMPANY HISTORY[/h2]In 1940, there were more than 500 independent bottlers of soft drinks in Canada. In this tough pre-war economy, gasoline and tires, vital for the delivery of beverages, were severely rationed. Glass was in short supply. Regulated quotas of sugar caused serious production problems and high taxes were hurting the industry. It was this business climate that provided the impetus for these competitors to begin discussions on forming an association for the benefit of the entire industry. And so, in 1942, the *Canadian Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages *(CBCB) was created.The industry thrived for the next 25 years and the CBCB was then renamed the *Canadian Soft Drink Association* in 1969.Continued volume growth and prosperity was accompanied by consolidation, packaging innovation and the inevitable regulatory changes which necessitated a major overhaul of the Association's focus and strategic agenda.In 2001, the CSDA was renamed *Refreshments Canada* and was launched with a new structure, staff, board of directors, mandate, objectives and strategic focus.Finally, in January 2011, *Refreshments Canada* was renamed the *Canadian Beverage Association (CBA)*.The Canadian Beverage Association is now the national industry association that represents the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute the majority of non-alcoholic refreshment beverages consumed in Canada. The association represents more than 60 brands of juices, juice drinks, bottled waters, sports drinks, ready-to-serve iced teas and coffees, new-alternative beverages, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, and other non-alcoholic beverages.  I will post some pictures of the bottles in groups of three to show all the graphics....hang on for pic overload[]


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## Canadacan (Jan 16, 2015)

Ok here are some pictures to show a little bit better the detail that is on these bottles, please excuse the blurry couple of pics as I used my phone to take them and it was hard to keep still ! This is Vancouver, British Columbia 1973 [attachment=WCSDA-01.jpg] [attachment=WCSDA-02.jpg] [attachment=WCSDA-03.jpg]


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## Canadacan (Jan 16, 2015)

Just for those unfamiliar with Canada city listed first then Provence[] This is Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 1975. and Edmonton, Alberta 1976. [attachment=WCSDA-04.jpg][attachment=WCSDA-05.jpg][attachment=WCSDA-06.jpg]


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## Canadacan (Jan 16, 2015)

The Regina one is from my place of birth[]  And on the Victoria bottle they show the Redcliff plant first?...kind of like an error, it should have the Burnaby plant first like the rest.  Victoria, British Columbia 1977.   Winnipeg, Manitoba 1978.    Regina, Saskatchewan 1979. [attachment=WCSDA-07.jpg] [attachment=WCSDA-08.jpg] [attachment=WCSDA-09.jpg]


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## Canadacan (Jan 16, 2015)

A couple of fuzzy ones here[] Calgary, Alberta 1980.    Victoria, British Columbia 1981.    Winnipeg, Manitoba 1982. [attachment=WCSDA-10.jpg][attachment=WCSDA-11.jpg] [attachment=WCSDA-12.jpg]


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## Canadacan (Jan 16, 2015)

And the last three are the clear ones, in hindsight I should have tried inserting white paper inside to try and show a bit better..not sure if it would of really helped. Note the Red Deer one has no glass plant on the shoulder. Saskatoon , Saskatchewan 1983.    Red Deer, Alberta 1984.     Winnipeg, Manitoba 1985.  [attachment=WCSDA-13.jpg][attachment=WCSDA-14.jpg] [attachment=WCSDA-15.jpg]


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## RCO (Jan 18, 2015)

interesting but never seen or heard of these bottles before , I'm assuming they were given out to bottlers as like a souvenir ? and never actually used to sell pop in ?


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## Canadacan (Jan 18, 2015)

RCO said:
			
		

> interesting but never seen or heard of these bottles before , I'm assuming they were given out to bottlers as like a souvenir ? and never actually used to sell pop in ?


They were given out at the convention to the attendees only.... so yes as a souvenir, and never contained any soda. Here are a three other bottles that I'd put in a similar bottle category I suppose? They are from Grey Beverages....the 7up is the 30th anniversary 1978., the green one in the middle is Grey Beverages plant opening in Edmonton, Alberta 1986. and the White one is Grey Beverages plant opening Annacis, BC 1989.  [attachment=Gray2.jpg][attachment=Gray1.jpg]


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## Canadacan (Jan 18, 2015)

And here is one that I do not own..sad face[] I was unable to close a deal on it. Really quite plain on the graphics but never the less still a very elusive bottle, It's for Starlight bottlers plant opening in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 1972. [attachment=Starlight bottlers.jpg]


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## Sawguy (Mar 28, 2015)

Hello I have have all ten of these bottles. Two are stubby and two are actually stii filled and caped. Oops three, all clear varieties.  I am not sure if they were all filled at one time or not. Only one has a cap with the president of Grays bottling Co.


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## Canadacan (Mar 29, 2015)

Sawguy said:
			
		

> Hello I have have all ten of these bottles. Two are stubby and two are actually stii filled and caped. Oops three, all clear varieties. I am not sure if they were all filled at one time or not. Only one has a cap with the president of Grays bottling Co.


All 10 bottles?...there is more than that in the series...14 total (that I know of) in the WCSDA series spanning from 1972-1985. I have 12 of them and am missing the '1972 Calgary' and the '1974 Winnipeg' So you say all clear varieties?...the only clear ones I was aware of were the last three I have pictured 1983, 1984, 1985.And stubby ones?..hmm sounds interesting.  I had been told ages ago by a former Grays employee they were not filled, but who really knows maybe a few were.Can you post some pictures of your bottles?...I'd be interested in seeing them!...Thanks.


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## Photon440 (Apr 6, 2015)

Those are cool finds!  I have the Gray Beverage 30th anniversary bottle (two of them) with the picture of Mr. Gray on the cap.  It was never filled.  I got it at the actual business party for that anniversary, held at the Hotel Vancouver with the Irish Rovers supplying music.  I was working at that Boundary Road plant at the time. The 1986 Edmonton opening...was that a new building?  I know Gray had a plant there at least by the early 70's, my uncle was the manager of it.  Still have one of his old business cards, but not the bottle.  Thanks for sharing those memories.


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## Canadacan (Apr 7, 2015)

Hey Photon440 thankks for sharing that, and I appreciate the comment []. I still run into quite a few of those 30th bottles ...but really the graphics are killer!On that bottle the building with the 'Gray' on it and the tractor trailer below it...do you know if that is the Boundary road plant?...I would assume it is but it may also be the Winnipeg building except in the pictures I have of that plant I don't see those set of stairs?  Here is a quick quiz for: you do you know the building on the other side with the old flat bed truck depicted?.....need a clue?...lolNow about that 1986 plant bottle from Edmonton, yes that would have been a new building...very scarce bottle, hope you find one!..keep hunting[]


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## Photon440 (Jul 22, 2015)

Sorry for the late reply, Canadacan.  To answer your question, yes that set of stairs was at 1875 Boundary Road.  I walked up those steps in the 70s. That building location now houses a Harley Davidson museum. As for your quiz...nope, not sure.  I assumed it was the building used before the Boundary location was built, was it somewhere around the Burrard street bridge?  I remember visiting my uncle there in the 60s but was a kid and don't remember much of it.


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## Canadacan (Aug 8, 2015)

Photon440 thanks very much for confirming my suspicion on that 7up anniversary bottle!Yes that is correct on the building depicted..it was the former location of 7up at 1460 Burrard st, which used to be known as Country Club Beverages....and prior to that it was the location for Thorpe and Co.


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## Canadacan (Feb 8, 2016)

*A new bottle!... and title correction 1972-1987*

A recent ebay search revealed to me a new bottle I missed!.....I passed on the opportunity to get this bottle last summer for $5 bucks assuming it was just a slight variation of the Edmonton 1976 bottle.
whoops!!!...turns out it is from the 1987 convention in Edmonton, it resembles most of the 1976 one but has the Gray logo on the front and Safeway on the back instead of the glass plants. There is some rearrangement on the front with possibly something new added but the pictures were not clear to know exactly what they are.
so the New title revision is now fro years 1972-1987......but wait what about the 1986 bottle then?.......guess what?...I have never seen it!

This it the front of the 1976 and the front and back of the 1987


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## Canadacan (Feb 27, 2016)

I have to make a rebuttal on the last post...I was wrong in concluding that 1987 Edmonton bottle was part of the WCSDA series, I failed to notice it says on the lower heel 'Safeway Merchandising' 
So what about a 1986 bottle then?...well as I said ..never seen one, so it probably dose not exist.


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## Canadacan (Feb 27, 2016)

Well Friday I picked up the last two bottles in the series and now have a complete set. It was bitter sweet as it has brought to an end a quest that started back in 1995 when I found my first.....the Regina 1979 bottle. I have been on and off with collecting but always dabbled in something and kept most of my bottles over this time, and in reality it has only been just under the last 3 years that I have finally put them all together. It involved endless hours of searching and late nights looking through ebay, craigslist, Kijiji, etc....so while not impossible to do but you have to put a lot of effort and time into it.
Hopefully one day a new or young collector stumbles across this and finds the information useful.


Calgary 1972 and Winnipeg 1974....the last 2!


WCSDA bottles 1972-1985.....the complete series.

1972- Calgary, Alberta
1973- Vancouver, British Columbia
1974- Winnipeg, Manitoba
1975- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
1976- Edmonton, Alberta
1977- Victoria, British Columbia
1978- Winnipeg, Manitoba
1979- Regina, Saskatchewan
1980- Calgary, Alberta
1981- Victoria, British Columbia
1982- Winnipeg, Manitoba
1983- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
1984- Red Deer, Alberta
1985- Winnipeg, Manitoba


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## iggyworf (Feb 27, 2016)

Very cool! A very colorful set of bottles. Thanx for sharin!


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## bottleguy500 (Aug 20, 2018)

I picked this bottle up at a show in Indiana a few years ago. Not one of the WCSDC bottles, but for the F.B.I. National Academy Associates Convention, Wpg. Man. Aug. 2-5, 1987. Bottle was made by the same glass company and is a frosted gray in color. One side of the bottle has the logo for the FBI National academy and the other has BBI, Blackwoods Beverages LTD. Has logos from Pepsi, 7up, Crush and Schweppes under the logo. Bottle also has graphics similar to those on the WCSDC bottles.


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## Canadacan (Aug 21, 2018)

bottleguy500 said:


> I picked this bottle up at a show in Indiana a few years ago. Not one of the WCSDC bottles, but for the F.B.I. National Academy Associates Convention, Wpg. Man. Aug. 2-5, 1987. Bottle was made by the same glass company and is a frosted gray in color. One side of the bottle has the logo for the FBI National academy and the other has BBI, Blackwoods Beverages LTD. Has logos from Pepsi, 7up, Crush and Schweppes under the logo. Bottle also has graphics similar to those on the WCSDC bottles.



Yes I still need this bottle even though it's not part of the series, it's graphic layout is similar to that of the frosted 1978 Winnipeg bottle.
Thanks for sharing!


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## tsims (Mar 1, 2021)

Canadacan said:


> Well Friday I picked up the last two bottles in the series and now have a complete set. It was bitter sweet as it has brought to an end a quest that started back in 1995 when I found my first.....the Regina 1979 bottle. I have been on and off with collecting but always dabbled in something and kept most of my bottles over this time, and in reality it has only been just under the last 3 years that I have finally put them all together. It involved endless hours of searching and late nights looking through ebay, craigslist, Kijiji, etc....so while not impossible to do but you have to put a lot of effort and time into it.
> Hopefully one day a new or young collector stumbles across this and finds the information useful.
> 
> Ivan Lang, Mission BC, Canada
> ...


Very nice, you must be quite pleased to have obtained the full collection. Yes, i hear you about countless hours searching for that one special bottle. Congratulations!


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