Showcasing the history of canning in PEC

A line of canned products showcasing the history of the canning industry in Prince Edward County will soon be available for purchase.

Sprague Foods which began operation in Mountainview in 1925 and now operates in Belleville, is producing the line which includes soups, beans and vegetables.

Keenan Sprague says the County was once the centre of Canada’s canning industry with dozens of canning factories operating between 1880 and 1960.

“We wanted to pay homage to that history and bring back some of the brands that were on shelves about a hundred years ago. And there’s just so much to choose from with so many canneries and they’re all so beautiful, whimsical and eye-catching.”

Sprague Foods is the last remaining factory from those days.

The labels will feature companies like the Lion Brand, Wellington Boulter and the Sunset Brand and each can will include a short history about the business.

“When canning started, it offered a solution to a real problem which was preserving food over the winter months and having food ready to eat. It was a different approach. They seemed to put a lot of time and thought and effort into these labels and they are treated more like works of art.”

The products, which will be available soon, will only be sold in and around the Bay of Quinte region.

Profits from the initiative will support the Ameliasburgh Heritage Hub which is an alliance of community organizations consisting of the Marilyn Adams Genealogical Research Centre (operated by the 7th Town Historical Society), the Ameliasburgh Heritage Village, History Lives Here Inc. and the Quinte Educational Museum and Archives.

Any retailers (including non-food retailers and shops) in the local area interested in carrying the products can contact Sprague Foods (penny@spraguefoods.com/613.966.1200).

The Sprague family of Sprague Foods with their heritage label line. L-R: Keenan Sprague, Jane Sprague, Rick Sprague. (Photo: submitted)