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10 world-changing inventions you didn’t know came from B.C.

From the egg carton to the London Fog latte, our province has given the world more than rain, mountains and yoga pants.

By Vivian Chong /

B.C. might be known for rain, outdoor adventures and yoga pants, but we’ve also gifted the world with some surprising innovations. From caulking guns to sushi rolls, here are 10 things that got their start right here in our province.

Egg carton

 

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Your next grocery run might owe its origin to an egg-ceptionally clever B.C. inventor. In 1911, after witnessing a local farmer and hotel owner argue over a delivery of broken eggs, Joseph Coyle designed the first egg carton using newspaper and individual cushioned slots. The Coyle Safety Egg Carton was later patented and mass-produced into the version we see today—helping countless eggs survive bumpy trips and (hopefully) ending arguments over cracked shells.

Caulking gun

 

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Your next DIY bathroom project can thank (or blame) this invention. Inspired by a baker piping icing onto cakes, Theodore Witte of Chilliwack created the caulking gun. In 1894, Witte patented his “puttying-tool”: a cylinder with a nozzle that let users apply sealant smoothly, without the need for a knife or messy hands. 

B.C. roll and California roll

Both invented in Vancouver, these rolls were created to suit Western palates before sushi culture had taken off in the city. Chef Hidekazu Tojo is widely credited with inventing the California roll in the 1970s, swapping raw fish for crab and avocado and turning the roll “inside out” so the seaweed was hidden under white rice. The B.C. roll, another one of his inside-out inventions, features crisp barbecue salmon skin. Call them gateway rolls for sushi beginners or just two of B.C.’s most iconic culinary exports.

Cosmetic botox

That’s right, some of Hollywood’s elite might have to thank our province for their smooth foreheads. In the 1980s, Vancouver ophthalmologist Dr. Jean Carruthers noticed that patients who were being treated with Botox for eye spasms were also seeing fewer wrinkles. After convincing her receptionist to be her first test subject, Jean and her husband, Alastair, pioneered the cosmetic use of botulinum toxin. More than 30 years later, it has grown to become the most popular non-invasive cosmetic procedure, with nearly 7.9 million injections performed by plastic surgeons worldwide in 2024.

HAART for HIV

 

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HAART (highly active anti-retroviral therapy), introduced at the 1996 Vancouver International AIDS Conference, was a game-changer during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Developed by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), the treatment drastically reduced HIV levels and risk of transmission, boosting life expectancy from less than 10 years to more than 50 for those diagnosed. BC-CfE has since expanded its use to treat other conditions, including viral hepatitis and opioid use disorder.

A COVID-19 antibody treatment 

 

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When the world shut down in 2020, Vancouver-based AbCellera Biologics had a breakthrough. The biotechnology firm, founded by CEO Carl Hansen, partnered with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co. to develop the first COVID-fighting antibody treatment. Thanks to its antibody discovery platform, the company was able to respond rapidly to the pandemic. It discovered bamlanivimab, a treatment that reached human clinical trials in just 90 days, helping to reduce hospitalizations and lowered the risk of infection for people exposed to the virus. That same year, AbCellera raised more than US$550 million on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange—the largest IPO ever by a Canadian biotech company.

Ambrosia apples

 

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Named after the food of the gods in Greek mythology, these juicy, sweet apples got their start by chance in Cawston, B.C. In the 1990s, orchardists Wilfrid and Sally Mennell discovered a different seedling growing in a row of their newly replanted apple trees, later yielding a few crisp apples that tasted like honey. Seeing potential, the Mennells developed and patented the new variety, bringing Ambrosia to markets, fruit salads and pie slices around the world.

.ca domain

 

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More than 30 years ago, a full two years before the invention of the World Wide Web, John Demco registered the .ca domain in 1987. Demco, from UBC’s Department of Computer Science, established the internationally-recognized domain name for Canada and went on to manage the .ca registry for the next 13 years, gathering more than 100,000 registrations before transferring it to CIRA in 2000.

Jolly Jumper

 

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This baby-bouncing and soothing device was invented in 1910 by Olivia Poole. Inspired by her Ojibwe heritage and the use of cradle boards, Poole patented the Jolly Jumper in 1957, becoming one of the first Indigenous women in Canada to patent and profit from an invention—while soothing babies and exhausted parents everywhere.

London Fog

 

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My favourite cloudy little comfort drink was, in fact, not invented in London. This tea latte was conceived in Vancouver in the 1990s. Rumour has it that a pregnant woman, suffering from morning sickness and seeking an alternative to coffee, asked a barista for a custom combination of Earl Grey tea and steamed milk, adding in a bit of vanilla after for sweetness. The result was a soft, cozy, creamy fall classic that’s now served at cafés across the globe.