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Kayley U.
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Anglophone East Regional Heritage Fair (Hopewell Cape)
History of Ganong
My project is about Ganong Bros, Canada’s oldest independently family owned and operated chocolate company from St. Stephen, New Brunswick. They created the first wrapped chocolate bar, heart shaped box of chocolates, first Canadian made lollipops and suckers and in 1885 created chicken bones.
What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?
A company can make chocolate and candy but to make it amazingly great, like Ganong, takes over 143 years of awesome, creative and hardworking people that care. Their chocolate is so good that Arthur Ganong (President of Ganong Bros from 1917-1957) was said to eat 2-3 pounds of chocolate every day and he lived to be 83 (1877-1960). I think he really enjoyed his work.
What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?
When you’re helping together as family and friends you can learn from each other and do amazing things, better and longer than on your own. Working hard at something you enjoy, helping others, sharing generously and never giving up, like David, Bryana and Nick Ganong, can create rewarding achievements and traditions. This is what I believe it means to be Canadian, New Brunswick proud. If I work hard and do something well, maybe something I create can be shared with my family, even 100-200 years from now.
How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?
I can enjoy Ganong chocolates and candy the same as they did 143 years ago. What's different is that I have so much information, technology and selection available to me compared to what they had when they started. Today, there are many companies that make chocolates and candy but even after 5 generations, they're growing world-wide from the same town of St. Stephen, NB. Another interesting comparison is food safety. In the past, schools weren't "nut free" but now are and Ganong now makes “nut free” candies and chocolates.