The First Cigarette Factories of Canada

Samuel Davis (1862) — Montreal’s Cigar King

Samuel Davis arrived in Montreal in 1862 and opened a small tobacco manufacturing shop. At the time, Montreal was quickly becoming the cigar capital of Canada, producing nearly four times the combined output of Toronto and Hamilton [citation:4]. Davis’s timing was perfect.

📊 The Rise of a Giant

• 🏆 1867: First prize at the universal exposition in Paris — international recognition for Canadian cigars [citation:4].
• 🏅 1876: First prize for cigars at the Philadelphia Centennial International Exhibition [citation:4].
• 👥 1888: Employed 457 people — the average Montreal cigar factory employed only 74 [citation:4].
• 📈 1894: Average of 600 people a year laboured in Davis’s seven-storey factory, equipped with steam elevators and an internal telephone system [citation:4].
• 🔝 Market position: S. Davis and Sons was the largest cigar manufacturer in Canada [citation:4].

👑 The “Tobacco King” Legacy

Davis’s son, Mortimer Barnett Davis (1866–1928), would later become president of the Imperial Tobacco Company of Canada and was famously nicknamed the “Tobacco King” [citation:2]. In 1895, the company was absorbed into the American Tobacco Company, with Samuel Davis becoming a major shareholder [citation:4].

Tuckett & Billings (1866) — Hamilton’s Progressive Pioneer

George Tuckett learned cigarmaking in the local shop of Alfred Quimby, where he became a member of the local cigarmakers’ union. In 1866, he teamed up with bookkeeper John Billings to start a tobacco plant. Their initials became the trademark for the popular “T.&B. Tobacco” [citation:1].

📊 Factory Growth

• 🏭 1890: Moved to a large new plant on Queen Street near York Boulevard [citation:1].
• 👥 Employment peak: At times employed over 600 men and women [citation:1].
• 🚬 1891: Cigarettes were added to the product line — among the first Canadian factories to produce cigarettes [citation:1].
• 🌍 International reach: The T.&B. cigarette brand spread to England, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand [citation:8].

⭐ A Progressive Employer

George Tuckett was exceptional among 19th-century employers [citation:1]:

• ⏰ Nine-hour day: While other factories worked 10-12 hour shifts, Tuckett’s employees worked nine hours [citation:1].
• 💰 Merit-based bonuses: Awarded bonuses on the basis of merit [citation:1].
• 🚫 No fining system: Shunned the strict system of fining common in most other tobacco factories [citation:1].
• 🏠 Home ownership: Gave long-time employees deeds to city lots and enough ready cash to build their own homes [citation:1].
• 🤝 Union arbitrator: The trust he gained was evident when he was invited to help arbitrate an 1883 dispute between two rival cigarmakers’ unions [citation:1].

Rock City Tobacco (1899) — Quebec City’s French-Canadian Factory

Rock City Tobacco was founded in 1899 by the Drouin brothers — one of whom, Olivier-Napoléon Drouin, would become mayor of Quebec City in 1910 — along with their cousin and business partner Joseph Picard [citation:6]. The company’s name refers to Cap Diamant (the rocky promontory of Quebec City) [citation:3].

📊 Factory Highlights

• 📈 Prosperity: Rock City became one of the largest tobacco product manufacturers in Canada, with assets in Ontario and elsewhere in Quebec [citation:3].
• 👥 Employment: At its peak, the factory employed approximately 500 people, mostly women, with about 20 sales representatives across Canada [citation:3].
• 🔄 Adaptation: The company followed market trends, successfully transitioning from chewing tobacco to cigarettes [citation:6].
• 🏛️ Longevity: Remained in the Drouin family until the 1960s [citation:3].
• 🏭 Current owner: Today, the factory is owned by RBH (Rothmans, Benson & Hedges) [citation:6].

Other Notable 19th Century Manufacturers

• 🔴 Jean-Marie Fortier, Montreal: Second-largest cigar manufacturer in Montreal after Davis, employing 275 workers in 1888 [citation:4].
• 🔵 D. Ritchie and Company, Montreal: Produced “Old Chum” tobacco brand; later absorbed by Davis [citation:4].
• 🟢 Empire Tobacco Co., Montreal: Formed in 1893 by John and Edward Archibald; later produced “Old Fox” chewing tobacco [citation:4].
• 🟡 William Kelly & Sons, London (1870): London’s first cigar factory, located at the forks of the Thames [citation:London historical records].
• 🟠 Brenner Brothers, London (1880s): Jewish immigrants who produced about 10 million cigars per year by 1912 [citation:London historical records].

Working Conditions in the First Factories

The cigar industry was one of the lowest-paying industrial sectors in 19th-century Montreal and one of the largest employers of women and children [citation:4].

⚠️ Harsh Conditions in Most Factories

• 👧 Child labour: Young boys and girls as young as 14 worked as “apprentices” [citation:4].
• 💰 Low wages: The cigar industry was one of the lowest paying in Montreal [citation:4].
• ⚙️ Mechanization: By 1888, cigar-making machines were replacing skilled workers with unskilled children disguised as “apprentices” [citation:4].
• 💸 Arbitrary fines: Workers’ already meagre wages were often reduced by a system of fines [citation:4].
• 🔨 Internal police: Some employers maintained an internal police force and jail for punishing apprentices [citation:4].

⚡ Labour Resistance

• Workers formed several unions, including the Cigar Makers’ Union (branches 58 and 226) — the most militant [citation:4].
• 1883: Industry-wide strike for wage increases, beginning with S. Davis and Sons [citation:4].
• 1894: Successful strike against Davis to stop a proposed 20% wage cut [citation:4].
• 1895: Repeat strike action against Davis — results unknown [citation:4].

🌟 The Tuckett Exception

Unlike other manufacturers, George Tuckett had no fine or punishment system. The trust he gained in Hamilton’s working community was evident when he was invited to help arbitrate an 1883 dispute between two rival cigarmakers’ unions [citation:1].

The Great Transition: From Cigars to Cigarettes

The late 19th century saw a fundamental shift in smoking habits:

• 🚬 1891: Tuckett introduced cigarettes to its product line — among the first in Canada [citation:1].
• 📈 1896: Tuckett’s first cigarette brand, T.&B., became a success, spreading to England, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand [citation:8].
• 🏭 1923-1924: Tuckett began producing Buckingham cigarettes, which would eventually hold 80% of the Canadian market for blended cigarettes [citation:8].
• 🔄 Rock City’s adaptation: The Quebec City factory successfully followed market trends, transitioning from chewing tobacco to cigarettes [citation:6].

The Birth of Imperial Tobacco Canada (1908)

The late 1890s saw the American Tobacco Company (ATC) aggressively enter the Canadian market, acquiring local manufacturers [citation:4].

• 1895: S. Davis and Sons was absorbed by the American Tobacco Company [citation:4].
• 1908: Imperial Tobacco Company of Canada was formed, merging ATC’s Canadian interests with local companies [citation:8].
• 1912: Imperial received its Dominion charter, under which it still operates [citation:8].
• 1930: Tuckett Tobacco Company was acquired by Imperial Tobacco [citation:1].
• 1966: The Tuckett plant on Queen Street closed as operations moved to a modern plant in Guelph [citation:1].

Preserving Canada’s Tobacco Heritage

Several of Canada’s first tobacco factories have been preserved as heritage sites:

• 🏛️ S. Davis and Sons building (Montreal): Classified as a heritage immovable property on July 20, 2023. The building is part of Montreal’s Chinatown heritage site [citation:2].
• 🏭 Rock City Tobacco factory (Quebec City): The Saint-Roch factory building still stands, now owned by RBH (Rothmans, Benson & Hedges) [citation:3].
• 🏚️ Tuckett plant (Hamilton): While the Queen Street plant closed in 1966, the site is marked on Hamilton’s 19th Century Industrial Trail [citation:1].