A full Club Soda bottle donated to the museum from Ross Denton’s Cornwall Bottling Works, Amelia Street, Cornwall ca. 1956.
The front and back of a crown top soft drink bottle.
Dave Kuhn shared this photo of the bottling works’ Jamaica Dry bottles.
Founded in 1896 Cornwall Bottling Works moved to 113 Amelia Street in 1912 and began bottling Coca Cola in 1921.
John Denton, the Cornwall area’s first bottler of Coca Cola making a winter delivery around 1900. The firm’s first plant was on Pitt Street across from the Town Hall.
Around 1921 the firm advertised: Shearer & Denton:
With its growing population the bottling interests of Cornwall is a most important industry and is ably represented by the above named gentlemen who are well known to the trade in this and surrounding counties. They are manufacturers of ginger ale, cream soda, cider and all kinds of carbonated beverages, and agents and bottlers of Coca Cola. A leading specialty is made of Cascade ginger ale and Bromo Hygeia mineral water which have a well earned reputation throughout this section for their effervescence, purity and general excellence. Physicians endorse the non-alcoholic beverages such as are produced by this firm, and recommend their use for convalescents, fever patients and others. Special attention is paid to supplying private families, hotels, confectioners, socials, picnics, banquets etc…This old established business was taken over by its present proprietors, Messrs. R.A. Shearer and J.S. Denton, in July 1918.
In 1933 the company advertised: “Every bottle sterilized.”
This Coca-Cola ad is from 1954.
This 1955 CCVS yearbook ad explains that: “Campus capers call for Coke.”
This 1958 Coca-Cola ad made the above claim: “Life looks brighter – you’ll feel gayer – after that first sip of bracing Coca-Cola! It’s wonderful zest gives you a quick little lift-refreshes you as nothing else can. Yes – in all the world – nothing gives you the wholesome sparkle of Coca-Cola.”
The Company became Limited on October 29, 1964.
In 1967 they boasted “a large modern up-to-date plant and fleet of 16 vehicles for service and delivery. Throughout the history of the firm they have endeavoured to supply carbonated beverages of finest quality, bottled in immaculate surroundings by the most modern bottling equipment available.”
On September 20, 1973, Cornwall Bottling Works (1964) Limited became Valley Bottling of Canada Ltd. On October 29, 1980, the company added French wording to its name.
Steve Reynolds kindly provided this photo of Valley Bottling at its 3350 Second Street East location.
The corporation was dissolved on August 17, 1988; its final Directors were W.R. Pringle of Toronto, W.R. Broce Hill of Willowdale, N.W. Kirchmann of Toronto and Frank J. Graham of Vandorf.
The company was taken over by Coca Cola and became T.C.C. Bottling Ltd. as depicted in this 1989 advertisement. That building still stands.
It’s second location at 113 Amelia Street has long been home to Ontario governmental offices; the northeast side of the structure now also houses a gym.
Cornwall Community Museum 
this was most enjoyable going down this road about the history of coca cola in cornwall. My grandfather started bottling coca cola in cornwall in the mid twenties and my father joined in 1937 but went on to ww2 in 1940 but rejoined in 1945, He sold the business in nov 1964. when the seven ounce bottle wholesaled for five and a half cents. Today the retail price for the same size in a bottle is 1.29.
By: arnolddenton on December 11, 2022
at 11:26 pm