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This is a stop on our self-guided tour is designed to be followed along with a physical version of the map available at the Kamloops Museum and Archives or simply enjoy the information below. View all tour stops.
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Museum Hours
Tuesday - Saturday: 9:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday & Monday: Closed -
Archive Hours
Tuesday - Friday: 1:15pm - 4:00pm
Saturday: By Appointment
Sunday & Monday: Closed
THE INLAND CIGAR FACTORY
A Cornerstone of Kamloops Industry, 1898 to 1917 | Stop #17
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Early Kamloops' Commercial Core
Before the corner of 1st Avenue and Seymour Street became home to bakeries, bookshops, and the current home of Venture Kamloops, it was the heart of Kamloops’ cigar-making industry.
Built in 1895, this red brick building at the northeast corner of First Avenue and Seymour Street once housed the Inland Cigar Manufacturing Company, a bold and bustling business with an international flavour.
The Inland Cigar Factory is valued today not just for its industrial history but for its strong connection to Kamloops’ early commercial district. At the turn of the twentieth century, First Avenue and nearby Victoria Street West formed the centre of downtown Kamloops—a thriving cluster of shops, services, and entrepreneurial energy. Though the commercial core has since shifted further east along Victoria Street, this corner once stood at the centre of it all.
A Thriving Industry
It all began in 1895 when George E. Borthwick, a seasoned cigar maker from Victoria, moved to Kamloops with plans to start fresh. He opened a small cigar factory in the Masonic Hall on Victoria Street, where he and a few journeymen, along with local apprentice Joe Goupell, began hand-rolling cigars using imported Cuban and Sumatran tobacco. The premium blend, Pride of Kamloops, was marketed as a true Havana cigar. In contrast, blends like Nature’s Beauties and La Flor de Cabinet gained local popularity.
In 1898, backed by new financial partners and growing demand, Borthwick built this dedicated factory building right here on First Avenue. Its walls were made with locally produced red brick and reflect the vernacular industrial style of the Victorian era. Though simple in design, the building was practical, solid, and purpose-built—a rare surviving example of early industry in Kamloops.
Inside, production soared. Thirty workers—members of Lodge 400 of the Cigar Maker’s International Union of America—rolled up to 3,800 cigars a day. The factory was proud to operate as a union shop. It set itself apart from Eastern Canadian manufacturers known for harsh labour practices. Though women and boys were part of the workforce and often paid less, the company maintained a reputation for integrity and skill.
The Inland Cigar Company shipped its product far and wide. From the Kootenays to the Klondike, Kamloops cigars travelled in tin boxes, preserving their freshness across long distances. Spanish workers from Cuba were even brought in to maintain the quality of the blends.
The End of An Era
But in 1908, the company announced it was relocating to Victoria. Despite healthy sales elsewhere, the directors believed local demand was waning. Borthwick retired soon after and relocated north to Barrière. Yet the building continued to hum with activity.
A group of former employees, led by John E. Mackin, launched the Western Cigar Manufacturing Company and carried on production right here. Their signature cigar, the Seal of B.C., was followed by other blends such as Master Duke and Kamloops Club. In 1913, they built a second factory next door. They leased this building to the Model Bakery, which went on to become another beloved Kamloops institution.
By 1917, the local cigar industry was in decline. Between the ever-rising costs of shipping, limited Kamloops demand, and the coastal manufacturer’s growing competition, there was a slow fade of this once-thriving enterprise.
A poem published in the local paper entitled “In Old Quebec” made a heartfelt plea for support:
“If men in Kamloops will but try to give home goods the show
We might keep here an industry, yes, even make it grow.”
But in the end, the support wasn’t enough.
Cigar-making quietly disappeared from Kamloops soon after, but the legacy of the Inland Cigar Factory lives on.
This building, constructed of locally made brick and rooted in the earliest days of Kamloops commerce, remains one of the city’s oldest surviving industrial structures.
The Inland Cigar Factory’s building stands today as a testament to the spirit of entrepreneurship that helped shape the city, adding layers to its history, steeped in tobacco-scented ambition, and still holding its place in the story of Kamloops.
Photos From The Archive
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