An Interpretation

Piece by Piece: The GWG Story
by Catherine C. Cole

When Levi Strauss & Co (Canada) closed its Edmonton doors in March 2004, moving all manufacturing offshore to Haiti, it was the end of an era. After nearly 100 years, the GWG brand is no longer being produced in Edmonton. The Great Western Garment Company was established in 1911 and grew steadily through the 1920s. By the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the Edmonton Journal claimed that it was the largest garment manufacturing company in the British Empire. The company continued to grow through Edmonton's postwar boom years.

In 1961, Levi Strauss & Co. of San Francisco acquired a majority interest in GWG, and in 1972, GWG became a wholly owned subsidiary of Levis. It maintained the name GWG until after the company's 75 anniversary in 1986, and maintained the GWG brand even after becoming identified as Levis.

GWG has played an important role in the history of Edmonton, Alberta and Canada. Explore this site to learn more about the company that was once proud to say its garments were "made in the west for the west."