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Established Florists in Canada for over 75 years
in Canada |
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Written by Canadian Florist Magazine
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Seventy-five plus
 Percy Waters Florist (75 plus)
In 1911, Percy Waters bought the flower shop in Toronto, Ont., with his wife Lulu. The first florist in the area, Percy Waters Florist, was also the first business in the area to be outfitted with electric lights. In 1917, after the death of her husband, Lulu carried on the business while raising her four children. Son Victor ran the business for many years after his mother retired, until he himself decided to retire in 1977. Bruce Adamson and his family, who already owned two flowers shops, bought the store. Today, Percy Waters Florist remains a trusted and well-respected business, while remaining true to its humble beginnings.
 Broadway Florist (75 plus)
Ernest Cholakis opened Broadway Florists Ltd. in a 900 square-foot storefront in Winnipeg Manitoba in 1923. In 1929, the shop moved to larger premises, which included a basement, a mezzanine, and offices in the back. Cholakis’ five sons joined the family business, and today Paul Cholakis carries on the family business, which is now located inside the downtown location of The Hudson’s Bay store. Today, Broadway Florists Ltd. is one of the oldest family-run florist businesses in Winnipeg.
Hatcher Florist Ltd. (75 plus)
George Henry Hatcher emigrated from England in the first decade of the 20th century and opened his first flower shop in Toronto in 1909.
George’s daughter, Bernice, worked in the store part-time and Ross, his son, worked there full-time after his tour of duty was complete in WWII.
In 1950, George had a heart attack and died while making a wedding bouquet, and in 1957 Ross decided to move the store to Willowdale, Ont. He continued to work in the store until 1972 when he died from leukemia. After Ross died, his wife, Isobel, and two of his sons, Bob and Doug, took over the family business.
Isobel died in 1998 and today Bob and Doug are proud to work in the flower shop as third-generation florists. (K.H.)
 Milbanke Flowers (75 plus)
Lydia and Ralph Salzgeber opened Milbanke Flowers in 1913 in North Battleford, Sask. They began a greenhouse and a flower shop, and in 1916 they moved the business three blocks to the present location. In 1938, their daughter Gertrude assumed the business and in 1964 her daughter Louise and husband Howard Libbey took it over. Their son Glen and his wife Cindy Libbey, who are the current owners, expanded the business in 1986.
The Flower Shop Reg’d. (75 plus)
Dr. Hezekiah Allen Clake, a dentist, opened The Flower Shop Reg’d. in Brockville, Ont. in 1929. Brothers Marcel and Albert Orovan took over the business, until the Henderson family bought it in 1969. Today, the shop is owned and operated by Jack Jr. and Don Henderson and their wives, Cecile and Ginette. The Flower Shop Reg’d. supplied flowers to Queen Elizabeth II in the 1950s, as well as Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Jean Chretien and Paul Martin.
 Regina Florist Company Ltd. (75 plus)
Established in 1912, Frank Markham began the Regina Florist Company Ltd. by selling flowers on the street corner in Regina, Sask. As business prospered, he was able to move the flower stand off the street and into a retail storefront. After 82 years, the shop moved around the corner to its current location. Bruce Hatcher, owner of Regina Florist, remains true to the shop’s humble beginnings by placing a flower cart outside by the front steps of the store.
Jackman’s – The Floral Pros (75 plus)
Founded in North Bay, Ont. in 1908 by Mr. Jackman, an English bachelor, Jackman’s original business sold flowers, plants, and ice cream, and served as a lending library.
Jackman, having no family, left the business to Laura Empy, a long-serving employee who passed it on in turn to a series of relatives over the years.
In 1978, Barry and Marcia Pond purchased the flower shop. They quickly expanded Jackman’s and a local market-based competitive brand – Discount Flower Market – to seven locations in North Bay.
Today Jackman’s has 30 regular full-time and part-time staff (over 50 at Christmas and Mother’s Day), and it has over 5,000 local floral deliveries annually, and over 50,000 national/international deliveries. (K.H.)
 Pilcher’s Flowers (75 plus)
Rose Pilcher founded Pilcher’s Flowers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, over 70 years ago in her backyard greenhouse. Before the outbreak of World War II, the shop
was moved to Gottingen Street, and Elliot Pilcher (Rose’s son) started working at the flower shop in the late 1940s. The shop moved one more time, and it now resides on Windsor Street. Charles Pilcher is the third generation to run the shop and he has devoted 26 years to the business. Pilcher’s Flowers is the oldest family owned and operated florist in Halifax.
 Brown’s the Florist (75 plus)
Brown’s the Florist, which was originally called Brown’s Victoria Nurseries, was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Brown in 1912 in Esquimalt, B.C.
It was taken over by a relative of the Browns who moved the store to the centre of the city and had greenhouses in the country. He sold the business to his nephew, Frank Wright, in the 1950s. Frank moved the store a block away where it stayed for at least 35 years.
The store was sold to Chris Dysart and Herb Widdifield in 1977, and today they have three locations in Victoria and Sydney, B.C.
According to Dysart, they still get people coming into the flower shop saying they worked for Brown’s the Florist in the “old days” when flowers were delivered on bicycles and incoming FTD orders came from the telegraph office on foot. (K.H.)
Allen’s Flowers (75 plus)
Joseph Sila Allen purchased the Ottawa flower shop from Ben Everest in 1919. Allen took charge of the administration and his wife managed the ‘floral’ side of the business until 1940, when she suffered a stroke. Their daughter, Ethel, who was preparing for a musical carried, cancelled her plans to carry on in her mother’s place. Joseph Allen passed away in 1946, and by 1950, the business moved to its present location on Bank Street. Many members of the Allen family worked in the shop, either full time and/or at rush periods.
 Coopers Flowers (75 plus)
Coopers Flowers was originally started in 1919 in Hamilton, Ont. by Hugh Cecil Cooper after he emigrated from England where his family lived on an estate as the gardeners.
He purchased some property and built a small greenhouse in the backyard. He grew his flowers and would then take them to the Hamilton market by bike and sell them. As he saved more money, he was able to build more greenhouses, and his business began to grow.
He had one child, Victor, who married and then joined his father in the business. Another greenhouse was built to support the extra family and the business continued to grow. Hugh continued to work in the business six days a week until he was 85-years-old, and then slowed down to four days a week. He died at the age of 92.
Victor’s children, Rick, Tim, and Pam, co-manage the business today.
Over the years the old greenhouses have been replaced with a warehouse, a bigger store, a showroom greenhouse, and a production greenhouse, which is used primarily for the spring garden season. (K.H.)
Keirstead’s Flower Shop Ltd. (75 plus)
Located in Saint John, N.B., Keirstead’s Flower Shop Ltd. was founded in 1925 by the late Guy G. Keirstead.
After cultivating and harvesting flowers on the large family homestead in Hampton, N.B., Guy brought them to the city market by train and sold them from an isle bench. He then decided to rent a stall in 1925 in this historic market and start the family business, then known as Keirstead & Company.
The business operated in this location until 1946. Guy then purchased property in uptown Saint John and the flower shop was moved. Guy and his three sons, Harold, Donald, and Howard worked in the shop, and after Guy passed away in 1961, Donald became president and ran the business until 1975. Harold’s son, Fenton, purchased the business and acquired a number of branch stores. Another store was also opened in Saint John in 1977, which is still in operation.
Fenton retired from the company in 1999 and Brian, his son, purchased the shares.
The business has continued to grow over the years and has expanded with the addition of a wedding consultation room, more cooler space, and a gift shop. (K.H.)
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