One of the main reasons the New Westminster Canning Company came to Chilliwack was the lack of transportation facilities. Fruit, lying at river landings for days waiting to be shipped, perished before reaching the New Westminster Canning Company and had to be destroyed.
One of the suggested sites for a canning company was the old Chilliwack Creamery building located at the corner of Cheam Avenue and Young Street. The building was for sale and the site was centrally located and close to the Great Northern Railway.
The cannery promised to be an asset for all the different fruit growers and hoped to employ a large number of people for a good portion of the year. On February 19, 1908 the Chilliwack Progress described the numerous fruits and vegetables that would be processed. "Everything in the line of fruit, peas, beans and corn will be canned besides the pickling of onions, cucumbers, cauliflower and tomatoes and the manufacture of jellies and jams and the evaporating of apples and the drying of prunes."
The canning company made significant alterations to the old creamery. The main building was enlarged, and other buildings were added to the site including a warehouse, storerooms, a new boiler room and an evaporating plant.
During the first year of operation the company created a fine product label that was described, in the local newspaper, as a work of art. "Large juicy strawberries that tempt the people to buy, will be pictured on the one side of the can and a miniature map of the Lower Fraser Valley with the new B. C. Electric Railway line from Vancouver to Chilliwack. Once the company's goods are upon the market, these labels should do more to advertise Chilliwack and its geographical position than all the real estate literature that has been in circulation for the past year." [Chilliwack Progress, July 8, 1908 p.4] By July 15, 1908 the company had canned $3000.00 worth of fruit.
Not all years however were profitable for the Chilliwack Cannery. In 1910, the cannery was faced with a loss of $4356.65, due to glutted markets and smaller companies selling off old stock. However, the cannery re-gained the trust of the fruit growers and had a net profit in 1911 of $2576.71.
As the cannery experienced growth some alterations were made to improve its efficiency in the handling of goods. The warehouse was increased in size and a railway spur was made from the factory running north to the B. C. Electric Railway Station that was located where Salish Park is today. More up-to-date machinery was added to the factory and ventilators were installed to provide better health for the workers. In the Chilliwack Progress June14, 1911, the cannery was described as having the reputation for being the neatest and cleanest on the coast.
In 1916, however, the cannery hit upon hard times. Mr. W. A. Banks bought the Chilliwack Cannery from the liquidator. Mr. Banks, who represented a large Vancouver company, brought in up-to-date plant equipment and renamed it the Chilliwack Evaporating and Packing Company. The war years were difficult for the cannery and by April, 1918 it shut down. Stocks of raw vegetables, that were still on hand, were sold at low prices.
In January 1921, the cannery was sold to Mr. Kurt A. Boyd who wanted to specialize in the processing of jam and small fruit. Mr. Boyd said he would start out on a fairly small scale and expand according to demand. By June, an ad in the Chilliwack Progress asked for fruit picked on the green side because the cannery would not be processing that year. Instead, all fruit would be shipped to other markets. It is not clear how long Mr. Boyd stayed with the cannery. By 1924 the cannery was sold to Mr. Robert James Banford who started a feed and grain business at this corner.
Fruit packing in front of the Kipp family farm. P5517.