Canada has been home to many popular clothing brands, but some held a special place in Alberta and its capital city, Edmonton. One iconic manufacturer was the Great Western Garment Company (GWG). This renowned workwear brand was famous for the high quality, durability, and practicality of its garments. Every GWG collection featured a thoughtful design, focusing on comfort for both everyday wear and the workplace. You can learn more about the founding, growth, and success of the Great Western Garment Company at edmontonka.com.
Building a Major Garment Enterprise
In 1911, Edmonton was booming. Real estate prices were steep, yet new shops, businesses, and homes were constantly springing up. On January 30 of that year, Alberta’s first Premier, Alexander C. Rutherford, city councillor and Alberta Hotel owner Alfred E. Jackson, and former buyer and salesman Charles A. Graham founded the Great Western Garment Company (GWG). They had absolute faith in the young city’s future. These men clearly saw the need for functional, hard-wearing clothes to outfit the province’s rapidly growing workforce.
Just a few months later, seven GWG employees established Local 120 of the United Garment Workers of America (UGWA). The factory quickly became a major employer for women. It’s worth noting that job opportunities for women were incredibly scarce at the time. Many employers refused to hire married women, and single women had very few options. GWG grew at an astonishing pace, employing over 100 people within its first year. By 1914, the factory relocated to Namayo Avenue (now 97th Street) in Edmonton to accommodate its expanding staff of 150 sewing machine operators.
Graham took over as company president in 1920, and by 1921, Jackson and Rutherford were no longer shareholders. Investors provided the capital needed to build a two-storey addition on the factory’s north side. By the late 1920s, the company had moved its raincoat and leather goods production to “Factory No. 2,” located in a nearby print shop.
From a Local Factory to a Garment Industry Leader
Much of GWG’s success can be credited to Clarence D. Jacox, who served as General Manager from 1931 to 1941. He introduced an assembly line system and piece-rate pay. The company survived the Great Depression by diversifying its output. It secured city contracts to produce uniforms for municipal workers and clothing for people on social assistance. At its peak during this era, GWG produced over 700 distinct clothing lines, including women’s and youth apparel.
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, two-thirds of the factory’s production shifted to fulfilling government contracts. Following Graham’s death in 1941, Jacox stepped into the role of president. That same year, the total value of GWG’s government contracts hit the $1 million mark. The workforce swelled to 500 employees, churning out 12,500 uniform sets every single week.
In the early 1950s, GWG expanded into casual wear for the whole family, and its marketing and distribution network stretched across Canada. By 1961, the company’s products were sold in 5,500 retail outlets. Alongside its main line, GWG continued to sell popular sub-brands like:
- Cowboy Kings (1929)
- Red Strap (1933)
- Iron Man (1932)
- Snobak (1935)
- Texas Ranger (1937)
It’s important to highlight that GWG developed its garment fabrics in close collaboration with textile mills. To reflect its goal of outfitting all Canadians, the company rebranded Cowboy Kings to GWG Kings in 1965. That same year, GWG refreshed its corporate identity, rolling out a clean, modern logo featuring two straight lines instead of wings above the initials. To push back against school bans on blue jeans, GWG smartly introduced coloured denim pants to the market.
Starting in the 1940s, GWG brought in process engineers to speed up production. Under Jacox’s leadership, GWG transformed into one of the most technologically advanced garment companies in the world, adopting new machinery and techniques at every opportunity. By the 1960s, the company had full-time engineers on staff. They timed the operators’ workflows and taught them how to conserve energy: using circular motions, picking up pieces with specific fingers, and feeding fabric into the machines more efficiently. Wherever possible, operations were fully automated, leaving operators to simply guide the fabric into place.
GWG and Levi Strauss: Partnership, Expansion, and Going National
In 1961, Levi Strauss & Co. purchased a 75% stake in GWG. The new owners, Peter and Walter Haas, joined the board of directors, but GWG maintained its independent management right up until its 75th anniversary in 1986. It stood as one of Alberta’s largest industrial operations. With 950 operators working day and night shifts, the factory boosted its production capacity by 10%. Output jumped from 8,000 units a day in 1958 to 13,000 just five years later. In 1965, GWG became the first company to partner with the provincial government and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) to train unemployed and underemployed individuals. Trainees earned minimum wage, with the government subsidizing half the cost.
In 1971, the Great Western Garment Company officially changed its name to GWG Limited. The following year, Levi Strauss bought the remaining shares of GWG Limited and registered Levi Strauss & Co. (Canada) Inc. GWG became a wholly-owned subsidiary but kept its Canadian leadership, with Russell Gormley as president, and maintained its headquarters in Edmonton.
The GWG Legacy: Contributions to Canadian Industry and Its Eventual Closure
In March 2004, the last GWG factory in Canada, located right in Edmonton, closed its doors for good. The shutdown left 488 workers without jobs. Levi Strauss announced severance packages, career counselling, and retraining programs, along with donations to local charities. In partnership with Edmonton Economic Development, they launched the “Levi’s 488” project to help the displaced workers find new employment. Unfortunately, many workers lacked the English language skills required to secure other jobs with comparable wages and benefits.
Over its nearly 100-year history, GWG crafted rugged workwear tailored for various trades, from farmers to artisans. Building on its stellar reputation, the brand actively courted cowboys and ranchers. In 1929, it launched the Cowboy Kings brand, which remained a flagship product for decades. The company sponsored rodeo prizes, ran ads featuring rodeo champions, and handed out free clothing samples. Notably, in the 1920s, GWG became the first manufacturer in Canada to use pre-washed denim. Later, in 1965, they introduced Nev’R Press, Canada’s very first no-iron pants.