It’s true that Canadians have contributed to major innovations that have solved some of the world’s most serious problems. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the useful, delicious, and fun creations too.
Peanut Butter
In 1884, a Quebec chemist named Marcellus Gilmore Edson was awarded the first patent for peanut butter — or peanut candy, as it was first called. The substance was discovered when Edson heated ground peanuts to 100ºF, creating a thick, chunky liquid that cooled to the consistency of butter. But it wasn’t until John Kellogg (yes, of the cereal empire) marketed the product as a spreadable protein substitute that it really caught on.
Egg Carton
You’ve probably never given the egg carton a second thought — you don’t remember a time without it. But in 1911, it was revolutionary. After witnessing an argument over a broken and cracked egg shipment between a deliveryman and a hotelier in Smithers, British Columbia, newspaper publisher Joseph Coyle created the hard, dimpled container we still know so well.
Hundreds of millions of egg cartons have been created since.
Trivia Pursuit
When you think of board games, what’s the first game that comes to mind? Trivial Pursuit has to be at the top of the list. The popular trivia game, with its pie-shaped game pieces and colourful wedges, was invented by four Montreal men in the early 1980s. More than 100 million copies have been sold since its release.
Hawaiian Pizza
Yes, we know this probably makes no sense, given the confusing name, but it’s true — the popular pineapple-and-ham-topped pizza was created in Chatham, Ontario.
Restaurant owner Sam Panopoulos, a Greek-born Canadian, first-served canned pineapple on pizza at the Satellite Restaurant in 1962. It’s a polarizing pie, we know, but we love that this unique topping combo has roots in the True North.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
The Face Cone for Blizzards
If you’ve ever visited Montreal in the dead of winter, you probably at least understand this invention: The “blizzard cone,” a pointed face mask meant to deflect ice and snow while walking, debuted in 1939. It probably did work, but the odd look meant it never really got any traction.
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