1889-1966::The W. A. Jameson Coffee Company

A small Vancouver Island coffee company that grew to rival others throughout the Pacific Northwest

"1922::Jameson's Trademark" Newspaper clipping: Victoria Daily Times (1922)

Victoria, British Columbia

Long before the rise of modern coffee chains, a small family-owned coffee company on Vancouver Island had already built a name across the Pacific coast. For nearly a century, Jameson’s was the morning cuppa found on breakfast tables across Western Canada.

"2022::Former Site of Jameson’s Warehouse at 754 Broughton Street in Victoria, British Columbia"

Screenshot: Google Earth (November 2022)

The company was known for its high-quality imported teas and coffees, with beans carefully selected and roasted on site, and fresh brews served in its tasting room. Jameson’s was a trusted name, with its products produced and distributed from its warehouse at 754 Broughton Street—a large brick building that still stands today.

"1889::Robert Hamilton Jameson (1844-1929)" Newspaper clipping: The Islander Magazine (1967)

Victoria, British Columbia

Robert Hamilton Jameson, a Scot born in Alloa, Clackmannanshire—home of the whisky-making Jamesons of Dublin—set out for the Pacific coast in 1888, not long after the Canadian Pacific Railway linked the country by rail. Having closed his grocery business in Whitby, Ontario, he travelled west to Vancouver Island in search of a fresh start, where he was struck by Victoria’s natural beauty and potential as a growing business centre. He returned east to gather his family before settling on Montreal Street in Victoria’s James Bay. Within his first year, Jameson purchased riverside property near the Sooke Potholes and established his grocery business in the heart of the city.

"1889::Jameson's Open For Business"

Newspaper clipping: The Victoria Daily Times (1889)

Victoria, British Columbia

In 1889, just days before Christmas, Jameson opened his first island store just north of Scotch House, a well-established menswear shop on the south side of Fort Street between Government and Broad Streets. He painted his storefront red to stand out among the other vendors and offered free delivery to his new patrons. Jameson’s Groceries & Provisions quickly made a name for itself in its new home.

"1892::R. H. Jameson's Groceries & Provisions at 33 Fort Street (south side), Victoria, British Columbia"

Photograph: Fort Street streetscape (c. 1892)

Jameson sold fresh produce alongside a small selection of specialty teas and coffees that he had arranged to import while travelling west. His new store quickly found success, helped by its location next to Scotch House, and before long brought his sons in to help. By the turn of the century, the next generation of the Jameson family was running the business.

"1900::The Jameson Family of Vancouver Island"

Newspaper clipping: The Islander Magazine (1967)

Victoria, British Columbia

Seated (front): Jack Jameson and Gordon Jameson

Second row: Luta (Austin), Robert Hamilton Jameson, Moragh (Turnbull) and Mary Cecelia Jameson

Back row: Carron Jameson, Bertha (Powell), Robert J. Jameson, Mary (McRae) and William Alexander Jameson

Jameson often referred to his children as his “clan,” and for a time he set aside his business travels to spend more time at home. In 1901, however, his eldest son, William Alexander, took over the store’s operations, allowing him to resume travelling to more distant markets. In the new century, the younger Jamesons took on greater responsibility, managing the business and becoming well known among Victoria’s merchants. While one son pursued a successful automobile venture, the others became increasingly involved in William Alexander’s expanding enterprise—the W.A. Jameson Coffee Company.

"1902::W. A. Jameson Coffee Company"

Newspaper clipping: Victoria's Board of Trade Review (c. 1902) Victoria, British Columbia

In its early years, the W.A. Jameson Coffee Company expanded to new locations on Fort Street and Oak Bay Avenue. After the loss of his only child in 1908, he brought the company’s operations together in a single location, moving into the Ames Holden Block on the southwest corner of Broughton and Langley Streets.

"1905::The Ames Holden Block on the Corner of Broughton and Langley Streets"

Photograph: City of Vancouver Archives (Out P769)

The move marked a shift in focus. Jameson reduced his stock of fresh groceries and turned increasingly toward wholesale tea and coffee, along with the manufacture of specialty spices and baking supplies. Before long, it was clear the company would outgrow even this new location.

"1910::W.A. Jameson Coffee Co.—Corner of Langley and Broughton Streets Receiving 12 Tons of Tea"

Newspaper clipping: Victoria Daily Times (1910)

Victoria, British Columbia

In February 1910, the CPR steamship Empress of China arrived in Victoria from the Orient carrying 12 tons of tea—the largest shipment ever received in British Columbia’s capital city, and all for the W.A. Jameson Coffee Company. Teas from Ceylon and India were stacked along the southwest corner of Langley and Broughton Streets, awaiting transfer into the company’s warehouse, where workers had unpacked 18 tons of coffee from New York just days earlier. The company had moved into the Ames Holden Block only months before, yet had already outgrown its 6,500-square-foot space. With the help of local architects, William Alexander began planning a new factory and warehouse.

"1911::W.A. Jameson Coffee Company's New Home at 754 Broughton Street"

Newspaper clipping: Victoria Daily Times (1911)

Victoria, British Columbia

Just weeks before Christmas 1911, the W.A. Jameson Coffee Company moved into its new building at 754 Broughton Street. William Alexander spent nearly $20,000 on his custom-designed building and equipped it with the latest machinery. The company’s output quickly expanded. By the end of its first year in the new building, Jameson’s products were being packaged and shipped to stores throughout Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Alaska, the Yukon, and across Western Canada.

"1911::The W.A. Jameson Coffee Roasting Room at 754 Broughton Street"

Photograph: Victoria, B.C., Canada: the western world-port on the Pacific (c. 1912)

The Jameson warehouse was designed to meet the demands of a growing business and protect its inventory. Hot water heating was piped throughout, keeping teas and coffees dry. William’s brother, Robert, now employed by Victoria’s leading electrical contractor, Hinton Electric Company, installed a freight elevator with a 3,500-pound lifting capacity, connecting activity across all three floors. The first floor housed the company’s administrative offices alongside its official Tasting Room and storage for finished goods. The second floor held the raw materials used to manufacture and package Jameson’s products. On the third floor, roasting and grinding took place, with large mixers and coffee bean roasters producing up to 800 pounds per hour, while grinders turned out 1,000 pounds per hour—an impressive capacity for the time.

"1912::The W.A. Jameson Coffee Company Stand at Victoria's Fall Agricultural Fair"

Newspaper clipping: Victoria Daily Times (1912)

Victoria, British Columbia

After settling into its new building, the company began appearing at fairs and exhibitions across the province. On display were its popular Jameson’s Featherlight Baking Powder and Persian Sherbet, both well known locally. The fairs also provided an opportunity to introduce lesser-known products, including ice cream powder, flavouring extracts, and specialty spices. The company’s unique coffee drink drew the most attention—five cents for a Jameson’s latte made with rich cream from Salt Spring Island. Proceeds were donated to Victoria’s YWCA building fund.

"1924::Mr. Robert Hamilton Jameson Sr."

Newspaper clipping: Victoria Daily Times (1924)

Victoria, British Columbia

By the 1920s, the first generation of the Jameson family had largely stepped back from the business. In August 1924, Robert Jameson Sr. travelled from his home in Sooke to Victoria to have his photograph taken for the first time since his youth. He had been living on the Jameson Ranch since his wife’s passing in 1910, continuing to work the family’s riverside property until his death in 1929. He was rarely seen without his traditional Highland kilt and Balmoral bonnet. In 1937, his son Robert, by then a successful automobile salesman, died suddenly at the age of 57. Five years later, in 1942, William Alexander—founder of the well-known coffee firm that carried his name—died after a long illness, having spent four decades building the Jameson brand alongside his brothers into one of Vancouver Island’s most successful coffee and tea businesses.

"1948::Celebrating Home Industry and the W.A. Jameson Coffee Company"

Photograph: Promotional photograph (c. 1948)

By 1948, after more than 60 years in business, the Jameson brothers’ company had weathered decades of change. Two World Wars brought significant material restrictions, leading to a shift from their signature tin cans to vacuum-sealed paper bags packed in heavy cardboard boxes—measures taken to keep their products fresh.

"1959::The Demolition of the Ames Holden Building at the Corner of Langley and Broughton Streets"

Newspaper clipping: Victoria Daily Times (1959)

Victoria, British Columbia

In 1959, the Ames Holden Building—the first home of the independent W.A. Jameson Coffee Company at the corner of Langley and Broughton Streets—was demolished to make way for a parking lot, severing the long-standing connection between Broughton and Courtney Streets. A few years later, following a merger with a Vancouver company, the W.A. Jameson Coffee Company left its home at 754 Broughton Street after nearly 50 years, bringing an end to an era on that corner of the city. The company continued operating from a warehouse on Burnside Road until 1966. That year, it closed its doors for good.

Story Timeframe: c. 1889-1966

Sources are credited where known. Historical materials are reproduced for research, commentary, and education, with digitized materials sourced from archival collections including Newspapers.com, the British Newspaper Archive, the British Colonist (University of Victoria) and other digital repositories, including wire service images such as the Associated Press, credited where known. Images have been cropped and enhanced for clarity where necessary.

Beyond the story — Conductor’s Notes →