1886-1988::The Race of the Christmas Orange Ships to Vancouver Island

Japanese Mandarin Oranges. Every year. Just in time for Christmas!

"1936::Ten Thousand Boxes of Japanese Mandarin Oranges Arrive on the Rithet Docks of Victoria, British Columbia"

Photo Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1936)

Victoria, British Columbia

1936 was a good year for mandarin oranges. Canada had recently settled a tariff dispute with Japan, which meant lower import prices and a record shipment of oranges on the way. After fifty years of trade, Japan's delectable little fruit had become a holiday tradition on Canada's West Coast, being picked from the trees in October and shipped as quickly as possible to Vancouver Island to arrive on time for Christmas.

Before the age of refrigeration, a ship's speed meant everything. The faster the ship, the less the spoil and the farther away fresh produce could be sold. So, in 1886, when the newly built Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) began connecting Canadians from coast to coast, a fleet of speedy CPR ships was constructed to further link Canada's rail network to the Asian market. In November, these ships, laden with the first commercial shipment of freshly picked Japanese mandarin oranges, raced across the Pacific Ocean, hoping to become the first Orange Ship to pass Race Rocks off the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The First Orange Ship was an honorary title proudly accepted by the winning ship's captain and crew, and it came with perks. Theirs would be the first ship to unload crates of oranges on Victoria's docks and earn top dollar for their early arrival. More importantly, the arrival of The First Orange Ship kicked off Western Canada's Christmas season and brought holiday cheer to Vancouver Islanders, who, year after year, were the first on the continent to taste the season's mandarin oranges from Japan.

"1849::San Francisco Imports Tahitian Oranges for the California Gold Rush Miners"

Clip: The Illustrated London News (1850)

London, England

The story of West Coast oranges dates back to the early 1840s, when only a few pioneers were aware of or had even tasted a mandarin orange. Small batches occasionally arrived on San Francisco's docks, but a structured orange trade agreement scarcely existed. In 1848, however, when a substantial gold strike was reported in newspapers across North America, the rush to California was on, and the peopling of the coast affected trade. Eventually, a price was set on oranges from the Society Islands, where they grew in abundance and were often picked up by whaling fleets who supplied themselves by the boatload for next to nothing in trade or for free if they could get away with loading them onto their ship unnoticed. Within a decade, California became the Society Islands' biggest customer, importing an average of five million Tahitian oranges per season. For years, Tahitian oranges were considered the best in the Pacific Ocean, keeping longer and travelling better and farther than any other orange. But in 1851, when a blight appeared among the island's orange trees, superstitious Tahitians blamed the previous season's California fire, which caused a large shipment of Tahitian oranges to burn on San Francisco's docks. They believed the fire had cursed their orange trees from afar, covering them with a sooty substance as if they had been smoked. The blight damaged their crops and eventually their orange trade, prompting Californians to seek other import options.

"1858::Oranges Arrive in Victoria for the Fraser River Gold Rush"

Clip: The Province (1938)

Vancouver, British Columbia

In the summer of 1858, tens of thousands of California miners rushed northward to Victoria on Vancouver Island, the gateway to the newly discovered Fraser River gold. Victorians were caught off guard as their unexpected guests filled the city's hotel rooms, hired all available transports to the mainland, and bought up whatever food was in the markets. Amid the chaos, a man named Richard Haggerty stood at the corner of Johnson Street and Waddington Alley, selling a basketful of California oranges. When they were all sold, he replenished his basket and repeated the process. By the end of summer, the city folk and their guests knew that Waddington Alley was the place to buy a thirst-quenching orange. Haggerty's had become the first oranges to be sold regularly in Victoria, but they weren't from California... they were from Tahiti.

"1859::Tahitian Packaging"

Clip: Sacramento Bee (1859)

Sacramento, California

Over the next several years, California's Chinese and Japanese merchants made several attempts to import mandarin oranges from their faraway home across the Pacific. The oranges, however, often arrived spoiled, unable to survive such a long voyage. Orange tree seeds were also imported and successfully planted, but the market's demand couldn't wait for their slow growth and production. Then something changed. Japanese exporters learned that the Tahitian secret to the orange trade was to wrap each orange individually in a green coconut leaf to keep the shipment from spoiling on the long journey across the Pacific. It was a brilliant idea, but without an abundant supply of coconut leaves, the Japanese merchants had to compromise.

"1862::Japanese Mandarins Arrive on the Coast"

Clip: The Sonoma County Journal (1862)

Petaluma, California

In 1862, the first successful shipment of Japanese mandarin oranges arrived on San Francisco's docks. Most had survived the long journey, wrapped individually in green tissue and packed in wooden crates. It was enough to make a lasting impression on local consumers who nicknamed them Kid Glove Oranges due to their unique quality of not soiling a lady's goat-skin gloves whenever she peeled one. It was the birth of a new Pacific trade that would later see enormous success, especially further north in British Columbia, when the new country of Canada became connected by rail from coast to coast.

"1885::The Canadian Pacific Railway Opens the Commonwealth Gateway to the Orient"

Map Clip: Canadian Pacific Railway Promotional Pamphlet (1890)

On November 8, 1885, Canada's first transcontinental train from Montreal rolled into Port Moody, British Columbia. The new Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) offered its passengers a scenic ride of unparalleled beauty on nearly 3,000 miles of rails, with safe passage through the Rocky Mountains and easy access to the country's far-off outposts along the Pacific coast. It also opened up Vancouver's telegraphic communication with the world, paving the way for numerous trade opportunities in distant places.

When the British government realized that Canada's new rail line brought the Pacific Ocean within fourteen days of their shores, a journey that previously took two to three months, they arranged a Royal Mail route to the Orient via the CPR, granting the company nearly 100,000 dollars monthly to make it happen. In addition to this grant, they agreed to help them build large steamships to transport British mail, goods and passengers across the Pacific Ocean. When the CPR's Empress Line of steamships arrived on the coast, it kicked off extensive trade agreements overseas. Rice, tea, silk, and opium were considered big-ticket items, but so were Japanese mandarin oranges, and they were on their way to Vancouver Island.

In 1885, Canada's first transcontinental train rolled into British Columbia from Montreal. The new Canadian Pacific Railway offered safe passage through the Rocky Mountains and easy access to the country's far-off outposts along the Pacific coast, a connection that opened doors to endless trade opportunities in far-off places.

"1885::The Gateway to the Orient"

Clip: The Victoria Daily Times (1885) Victoria, British Columbia

Canada's new coast-to-coast rail line opened up Vancouver's telegraphic communication with the world and brought the Pacific Ocean within fourteen days of Great Britain, a journey that previously took two to three months. But something else happened. Great Britain realized that such a fast journey to the Pacific also meant 24 days from London to Japan and a speedy trade opportunity with the Orient that was never thought possible.

Before the age of refrigeration, a ship's speed meant everything. The faster the ship, the less the spoil and the farther away fresh produce could be sold. So, in 1886, when the newly built Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) began connecting Canadians from coast to coast, a fleet of speedy CPR ships was constructed to further link Canada's rail network to the Asian market. In November, these ships, laden with the first commercial shipment of freshly picked Japanese mandarin oranges, raced across the Pacific Ocean, hoping to become the first Orange Ship to pass Race Rocks off the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The First Orange Ship was an honorary title proudly accepted by the winning ship's captain and crew, and it came with perks. Theirs would be the first ship to unload crates of oranges on Victoria's docks and earn top dollar for their early arrival. More importantly, the arrival of The First Orange Ship kicked off Western Canada's Christmas season and brought holiday cheer to Vancouver Islanders, who, year after year, were the first on the continent to taste the season's mandarin oranges from Japan.

"1885::The Gateway to the Orient"

Clip: The Victoria Daily Times (1885) Victoria, British Columbia

Canada's new rail line opened Vancouver's telegraphic communication with the world and brought the Pacific Ocean within fourteen days of Great Britain, a journey that previously took two to three months. It was a realization that also meant 24 days from London to Japan and a speedy trade opportunity with the Orient that was never thought possible.

"1891::Canadian Pacific Railway's New Empress Line Steamers"

Clip: Canadian Pacific Railway Advertisement (1891)

The British government immediately arranged a regular Royal Mail delivery line to the Orient via the Canadian Pacific Railway, granting the company nearly 100,000 dollars monthly to make it happen. In addition to this grant, they agreed to help them build large steamships to transport their mail, goods and passengers across the Pacific Ocean. Within a few short years, the Canadian Pacific Railway's Empress Line of steamships arrived on the coast, kicking off extensive trade agreements overseas. Rice, tea, silk, and opium were considered big-ticket items, but so were Japanese mandarin oranges, and they were on their way to Vancouver Island.

"1890::Victoria's Geographical and Commercial Position for Canada's New Highway to the Orient"

Map Clip: The Victoria Daily Times (1890)

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria played a significant role in the early mandarin orange story. As a port, it was the shortest distance across the water from Japan and, for a time, the destination port of all orange ships, including the Canadian Pacific Railway's new Empress Line.

This made it easy for Vancouver Islanders to become the largest consumers of many of Japan's first shipments of oranges, frequently buying up much of the season's crop long before it even arrived. In contrast, Californians banned Mandarin orange imports altogether, concerned they might carry diseases that could spread among their own flourishing orange crops. This left the Japanese mandarins to become a primarily British Columbian product.

"1913::Orange Ships and the Outbreak of WWI"

Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1924)

Victoria, British Columbia

At the turn of the 20th century, the mandarin orange trade was a quick way for a ship's company to make a lot of money. However, at the outbreak of war, many orange ships were recruited for strategic military use.

"1924::The Gift of Japanese Mandarins"

Clip: Carstairs News (1924)

Carstairs, Alberta

When the Great War ended, the orange trade resumed stronger than ever. Mandarin oranges became a wildly popular Christmas gift when the Canadian Pacific Railway offered West Coasters a chance to send a box of mandarins to loved ones across Canada using their new refrigerated rail cars. The idea was a huge success. By 1926, eleven million Japanese mandarin oranges, packed in 109 refrigerated cars in four special trains, were rushed to destinations across the country on time for Christmas. By 1928, Canada was importing an average of 4.26 Japanese mandarin oranges per person for each of the nine million people in Canada.

"1946::The Orange Ships and World War II"

Clip: The Province (1946)

Vancouver, British Columbia

The mandarin orange trade slowed at the onset of World War II. In 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, political sentiment caused the trade to cease altogether. Tangerines from Florida and Texas were imported as replacements, but weren't quite as popular. When the war ended, Western Canada was the only area outside the Orient that resumed importing Japanese oranges.

"1950::Post-War Japanese Oranges Arrive at Ogden Point in Victoria, British Columbia"

Photo Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1950)

Victoria, British Columbia

In 1949, a whopping 50 million Japanese mandarin oranges were set to funnel through Victoria and Vancouver, kicking off Western Canada's Christmas season once again. After nearly a decade of conflict and recovery, the arrival of the First Orange Ship to pass Race Rocks meant a little bit more to Victorians who had arranged a welcoming ceremony on the dock and offered the captain gifts as a token of appreciation for his company's speedy transport.

"1960::560,000 Post-War Japanese Oranges Arrive in Vancouver, British Columbia"

Photo Clip: The Vancouver Sun (1960)

Vancouver, British Columbia

In 1962, 100 years after the first Japanese mandarin oranges arrived on San Francisco's docks, California reopened its doors to the Japanese Mandarin trade. Soon, fleets with refrigerated systems took over their transport, eliminating the need for the Orange Ships and their traditional race across the Pacific.

"1988::100 Years of Orange Ships"

Clip: The Advance Christmas Catalogue (1988)

Langley, British Columbia

Despite onboard refrigeration, British Columbians celebrate the arrival of the First Orange Ship for many more years, and Japanese mandarin oranges remain a West Coast Christmas holiday tradition today.