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100 Years

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100 Years

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Hotspot image
A new discovery rekindles hope that large reservoirs of oil will be found beneath Alberta
Discovered by British Petroleum in 1923, the large Wainwright oil field revives hopes for the Alberta oil industry.
Source: Provincial Archives of Alberta, A10793
Hotspot image
The first producing oil well in Western Canada is drilled.
In 1902, the Rocky Mountain Development Company drills a well on Cameron Creek (in what is now Waterton Lakes National Park). It is the first producing oil well in western Canada.
Source: Glenbow Archives, NA-1585-7
From Turner Valley to today, 100 years of showing up, solving problems, and moving forward.

Built on Legacy. Driven by What's Possible.

Legacy isn’t just what you inherit. It’s what you prove, day after day, project after project.
Since 1926, Westburne has been there, starting in Turner Valley and growing alongside the industries, trades, and communities that built this country. We’ve powered oil rigs and factories, hospitals and high-rises, because when the work matters, reliability matters more.
A century later, that foundation still holds. We bring the same grit and expertise our founders did, now paired with smarter tools, deeper technical knowledge, and a network that spans coast to coast. For customers who need it done right. For partners who expect more. For employees who take pride in the work.
This is what 100 years earns you: trust that’s been tested, relationships that endure, and a name that means something when it’s on the line.

03

The first producing oil well in Western Canada is drilled.
In 1902, the Rocky Mountain Development Company drills a well on Cameron Creek (in what is now Waterton Lakes National Park). It is the first producing oil well in western Canada.
Source: Glenbow Archives, NA-1585-7

A new discovery rekindles hope that large reservoirs of oil will be found beneath Alberta.
Discovered by British Petroleum in 1923, the large Wainwright oil field revives hopes for the Alberta oil industry.
Source: Provincial Archives of Alberta, A10793

Built on Legacy.
Driven by What's Possible.

From Turner Valley to today, 100 years of showing up, solving problems, and moving forward.

Legacy isn’t just what you inherit. It’s what you prove, day after day, project after project.
Since 1926, Westburne has been there, starting in Turner Valley and growing alongside the industries, trades, and communities that built this country. We’ve powered oil rigs and factories, hospitals and high-rises, because when the work matters, reliability matters more.
A century later, that foundation still holds. We bring the same grit and expertise our founders did, now paired with smarter tools, deeper technical knowledge, and a network that spans coast to coast. For customers who need it done right. For partners who expect more. For employees who take pride in the work.
This is what 100 years earns you: trust that’s been tested, relationships that endure, and a name that means something when it’s on the line.

Celebrating 100 Years Together

From employee reflections and customer partnerships to industry insights and milestone moments, explore the stories that celebrate Westburne’s first 100 years and inspire the next century.

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Premio Promotion

The Journey Continues

Across the country, one branch at a time, the torch moves forward, carrying a century of legacy into the next. Follow its path as it travels coast to coast, connecting every location in a shared moment of progress and pride.

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Which division will win the Torch Relay?

Division Leaderboard

An overview of how each division is performing based on total Premio Points earned to date.

1 🥇

Ontario

47 branches

Total Points 152500
Activities 40
Avg Points 3244
55%

Top Branches

  • 1. Timmins 10000 pts
  • 2. Smiths Falls 10000 pts
  • 3. Sault Ste Marie 10000 pts
2 🥈

West

24 branches

Total Points 64500
Activities 23
Avg Points 2687
54%

Top Branches

  • 1. Fort St. John 10000 pts
  • 2. Edmonton North/Main 10000 pts
  • 3. North Vancouver 10000 pts
3 🥉

Quebec

18 branches

Total Points 30000
Activities 6
Avg Points 1666
16%

Top Branches

  • 1. St-Jérome 10000 pts
  • 2. Laval 10000 pts
  • 3. Brossard 10000 pts
4

Midwest

11 branches

Total Points 23500
Activities 8
Avg Points 2136
36%

Top Branches

  • 1. Estevan 10000 pts
  • 2. Thunder Bay 4500 pts
  • 3. Prince Albert 4500 pts

A Century of Milestones

Scroll using the arrows to see our history.

A hundred-year story begins

A hundred-year story begins

A gas boom in Turner Valley, Alberta. Calgary businessmen form an oil exploration company called Ainsworth Oils Limited. The origin of everything that follows.
1952

The supply business begins

On December 17, Westburne makes its first distribution acquisition: Saillant Inc., a plumbing and heating wholesaler in Quebec City. The pivot that defines everything.
1967
Electrical enters the picture

Electrical enters the picture

Westburne adds electrical supply distribution alongside plumbing and heating. This is the category that ultimately defines everything the company becomes.
1979
The network keeps growing

The network keeps growing

Refrigeration, air conditioning, and ventilation supplies added as a fourth major product category. Westburne becomes the most diversified wholesale distributor in Canada.
1990

A new name. A clear identity.

United Westburne officially becomes Westburne Inc. After 70 years, the company sheds its oil origins in name and identity. A distributor, fully committed.
2000

Pure electrical. Fully focused

Non-electrical assets sold. Westburne becomes a dedicated electrical distribution company. 38 years from the first plumbing acquisition to complete clarity of purpose.
2026
1926

The Westburne name is born

The Westburne Oil Company Limited is incorporated in Montreal. The name that will define the next 100 years is used for the first time.
1963
Coast to coast in four years

Coast to coast in four years

Five acquisitions. Roughly 30 branches. A national network from Quebec to British Columbia, built in the time it takes most companies to open a second location.
1971
Into the United States, overnight

Into the United States, overnight

26 Crane Supply branches across 16 US states acquired in a single deal. Westburne crosses the border and becomes one of the ten largest plumbing and heating wholesalers in the…
1986
North America’s largest

North America’s largest

467 branches across Canada and 18 US states. Products move from central warehouse to any branch in under 24 hours. The largest integrated distributor on the continent.
1995
Joining a global family

Joining a global family

On September 25, Rexel SA — one of the world’s largest electrical distributors — acquires Westburne. Global scale. The same local branches. The same people.
2001

100 years. Still building

The Baton Relay crosses every branch in Canada, coast to coast. A century of showing up for the people who build this country.
100 years is a significant milestone, but it wouldn't be possible without the people behind it. 

A lot has definitely changed over the years, but one thing hasn't: the importance of working together.

Hear from Westburne employees as they share what this milestone means to them and the role people play in our continued success!

Follow our story here: https://www.westburne100years.ca/our-story/

100 ans, c’est une étape importante, mais elle n’aurait pas été possible sans les gens qui en sont à l’origine.

Beaucoup de choses ont changé au fil des ans, mais une chose demeure la même : l’importance de travailler ensemble.

Découvrez ce que cette étape représente pour les employés de Westburne et le rôle que les gens jouent dans notre succès continu.

Suivez notre histoire : https://www.westburne100years.ca/our-story/

#Westburne100 #Rexelgroup

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The finish line may have been crossed, but the impact of race day lasts much longer.

The Edmonton Marathon's Kids 1K Fun Run gave participants the chance to take on a challenge, try something new, and celebrate an accomplishment they can be proud of.

Thank you to the families, volunteers, supporters, and participants who helped make the day so special.

Here's to moving forward together.

La ligne d'arrivée a peut-être été franchie, mais l'impact de cette journée de course se fera sentir bien au-delà de l'événement.

Le Kids 1K Fun Run du Marathon d'Edmonton a permis aux participants de relever un défi, d'essayer quelque chose de nouveau et de célébrer un accomplissement dont ils peuvent être fiers.

Merci aux familles, aux bénévoles, aux partisans et aux participants qui ont contribué à faire de cette journée un moment mémorable.

Continuons d'avancer ensemble.

#westburne100 #rexelgroup

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Today is race day!!

After weeks of hard work and preparation, it's time to celebrate every participant taking part in the Edmonton Marathon's Kids 1K Fun Run.

Good luck to everyone hitting the pavement today!

We can't wait to see you cross the finish line!

Aujourd'hui, c'est le jour de la course!!

Après des semaines de préparation et d'efforts, il est temps de célébrer tous les participants au Kids 1K Fun Run du Marathon d'Edmonton.

Bonne chance à tous ceux qui prendront le départ aujourd'hui!

Nous avons hâte de vous voir franchir la ligne d'arrivée!

#westburne100 #rexelgroup

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Got Questions?
We have Answers

From how we started to how you can be part of the celebration, everything you need to know about Westburne's 100th anniversary in one place.

Think of it as a 100-branch road trip without the van. A digital baton is travelling across every single Westburne branch in Canada, from coast to coast. Each branch receives it, celebrates it, passes it on, and the whole journey is tracked live on this microsite. It is our way of saying every branch matters, every team is part of this, and 100 years is worth celebrating one stop at a time.

The people. Always the people. Every branch is still run by someone who knows their customers by name, understands what they are building, and shows up when it matters. No algorithm, no chatbot, no automated response is going to carry a heavy order to your truck or call you back when something goes sideways on a job. That is a Westburne person. Has been for 100 years. Will be for the next 100.

Four celebrations, four divisions, one massive birthday party spread across the country. Throughout 2026, Westburne is hosting regional events in each division, BC/AB, SK/MB, ON, and QC/ATL. Branch teams, customers, and partners come together to mark the milestone with recognition, celebration, and a genuine good time. Keep an eye on this page for details on the event closest to you.

So many ways. Follow the Baton Relay on this page. Visit your local branch. Come to a division event if you get the invite. And if you have a Westburne memory  a project, a moment, a person who helped you out, submit it through the form on this page. Every submission enters you into a draw to win $1,000. Your story might just end up on the microsite or on stage at a division event.

Use the submission form right here about the Memory Gallery. Tell us your story  a project your team pulled off, a branch that came through in a pinch, a relationship that has lasted years. Photos welcome, length not required. Every submission enters you into a draw to win $1,000. Winners announced throughout the centennial year. No story is too small. The best ones are the ones that actually happened.

Visit your nearest Westburne branch, call us directly, or reach out through westburne100years.ca. Whether you are a contractor, electrician, project manager, or industrial buyer, our team will set you up with an account and make sure you have what you need to get to work. It is straightforward, it is fast, and you will have a local contact from day one.

Please contact Westburne’s marketing team directly at marketing@westburne.ca. We are happy to provide background information, brand assets, and spokesperson access for relevant media coverage of the centennial.

The next 100. This centennial is not a finish line  it is a checkpoint. The trades that will build tomorrow’s infrastructure, the communities that will grow and need power to do it, the team members who will carry the baton from here, that is what we are building toward. We are not done. Not even close.

We did the math. Sort of. Our best estimate puts it somewhere in the neighbourhood of 2.4 billion metres of wire and cable moved through Westburne branches over the past century. That is roughly the distance from Earth to the Moon and back three times. Enough to wrap around Canada’s entire coastline more than 40 times. We are not saying we powered the country. But we are not not saying it either.

Disclaimer: these numbers are a fun approximation and not an official figure. Our accountants would like you to know that. Our warehouse team would like you to know they believe it anyway. 

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