Birks
Birks and Rideau
History
Birks Group traces its origins to the opening by Henry Birks of a small jewellery shop in Montreal in 1879.
With an investment of CAD$3,000, Henry Birks opened in 1879 a small jewellery shop on Saint James Street in the heart of Montreal's financial and commercial district. In 1893, Birks went into partnership with his three sons (William, John and Gerald), and the name of the firm became Henry Birks and Sons. As the focus of Montreal's commercial centre moved northward towards Saint Catherine Street, the Birks store moved to new premises on Phillips Square in 1894, where the company still maintains a store and corporate offices.
Commencing in 1901, Birks oversaw the expansion of the company across Canada, with stores opening in the country's largest cities. In some cases, it bought local jewellers, adding its name to the local one (the Birks store in Toronto was Birks-Ryrie and the one in Winnipeg was Birks-Dingwall). The store on Phillips Square in Montreal opened in 1907.
In 1934, Birks received a Royal Warrant of Appointment. In December 1934, Birks opened its first store in Vancouver. In 1954, the first Canadian shopping centre opened in Dorval and Birks is the first to open a jewelry store within a shopping centre.
The Birks name appears on many watch dials, on its own and in conjunction with other makers. Enicar was a popular source of Birks-branded watches. Eterna also provided watches.
A trading name used by Birks for watches was also Rideau.
