Du Maurier and John Player's are both made by Imperial Tobacco Canada (British American Tobacco), while Next is made by Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (Philip Morris International). White Birch Post stocks all three, and this side-by-side compares them on the facts — maker, history and formats — rather than ranking them.
Who makes each brand?
Two of the three share a maker. Here's the quick version:
| Du Maurier | John Player's | Next | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian maker | Imperial Tobacco Canada | Imperial Tobacco Canada | Rothmans, Benson & Hedges |
| Parent company | British American Tobacco | British American Tobacco | Philip Morris International |
| Origin of the name | Sir Gerald du Maurier, British actor | John Player & Sons, Nottingham | Not publicly documented |
| Where it started | London, around 1930 | Nottingham, 19th century | RBH's Canadian lineup |
| Type | Brand-name | Brand-name | Brand-name |
For every other Canadian brand, see our Canadian cigarette manufacturer guide.
What's the history behind du Maurier?
A British name made Canadian. Du Maurier was launched in Britain around 1930 by the Peter Jackson tobacco company and named after the stage actor Sir Gerald du Maurier. The rights passed to British American Tobacco, and Imperial Tobacco Canada has made it here for decades. It's no longer sold in the UK. More in who makes du Maurier.
What's the history behind John Player's?
A Nottingham firm with a long Canadian presence. John Player & Sons was founded by Nottingham tobacconist John Player and joined the Imperial Tobacco Company of Great Britain and Ireland in 1901. Imperial's Canadian company in Montreal made Player's here as "successor to John Player & Sons." Today, Imperial Tobacco Canada belongs to British American Tobacco — not to the UK's Imperial Brands, which owns the Player's names in Britain.
We stock several labels carrying the name: Player's, John Player Special and John Players Plus. See who makes Player's cigarettes for the full story.
What's the history behind Next?
A Rothmans, Benson & Hedges brand. Next is one of RBH's main Canadian brands, listed among its most popular in industry reports from the mid-2010s, alongside Canadian Classics and Belmont. RBH has been fully owned by Philip Morris International since 2008. We stock both Next and Next Seven. We haven't found a reliable source for Next's launch year, so we've left it out. More in who makes Next cigarettes.
Do du Maurier and Player's come from the same factory?
They come from the same company. Both are Imperial Tobacco Canada brands, so they share corporate ownership, distribution and regulation. They're still distinct brands with their own product lines, and they've been marketed separately for decades. Next comes from a different company entirely.
How do the formats compare?
All three are sold in the same standard Canadian formats:
- Sizes: regular (roughly 70 to 73 mm) and king size (roughly 83 to 85 mm). See king size vs regular cigarettes.
- Packs: 20 and 25 are the common counts; federal law sets the minimum at 20. See cigarette pack sizes in Canada.
- Cartons: 200 cigarettes — ten packs of 20 or eight of 25.
Each brand is split into several versions. The exact sizes and counts we carry at any time are on each product page.
Do the packs look different?
Hardly, by law. Since 2019, every Canadian cigarette pack has been a plain drab brown slide-and-shell pack with the brand name in a standard font and large graphic health warnings. Logos and brand colours are banned, and warnings have been phased onto individual cigarettes since 2023. On the shelf, the brand name and variant text are what set du Maurier, Player's and Next apart. See Canada's cigarette packaging rules.
Does the brand change the health risks?
No. These are three brand-name cigarettes from large tobacco companies. Differences in maker, history or packaging don't change the health risks of smoking, and we don't rank brands. Which one a customer buys usually comes down to habit and what they already know.
How do they compare with native brands?
All three are brand-name, not native. Native cigarettes — like dM, Canadian Goose or Deerfield — are made by independent First Nations manufacturers and are taxed and distributed differently. Read native vs brand-name cigarettes for that comparison.
Can I order all three online?
Yes, if you're 19 or older. White Birch Post delivers the same day in Greater Sudbury on orders placed before the daily cut-off, with photo ID checked at the door. Orders elsewhere in Canada, except Nunavut, ship by tracked Canada Post. See buying cigarettes online in Canada.
The bottom line
Du Maurier and John Player's are both Imperial Tobacco Canada brands with British origins; Next is a Rothmans, Benson & Hedges brand owned by Philip Morris International. All three come in regular and king size, packs of 20 or 25 and cartons of 200, in identical plain packaging. Compare current versions in our brand-name cigarettes section.
White Birch Post sells to adults 19 and over only. Smoking is harmful to your health. If you're thinking about cutting back or quitting, our responsible use page lists free Canadian support services.