Discover more of Canada, one great find at a time.
Chicken Bones made of candy? Earrings that look like tiny bags of groceries? 🇨🇦 We've found some wonderfully unexpected Canadian creations this week, along with a father-and-son business in Nova Scotia, an Alberta invention inspired by a video game, and a talented young musician from Ontario.
And this week, we're curious about where you call home! Help us see where our readers are joining us from across this great country.
Where in Canada are you reading us from? 🇨🇦
LAST WEEK’S VERDICT
Which Canadian childhood memory would you most like to relive?
47% — Playing outside until the lights came on.
26% — Saturday morning cartoons in your pyjamas.
23% — A snow day with school cancelled.
4% — Going to the local video rental store.
Products, businesses, people and places that deserve a little more attention.
A SWEET LITTLE DECEPTION · NEW BRUNSWICK
Ganong’s Chicken Bones
These Chicken Bones are crunchy, cinnamon-flavoured and filled with chocolate.
Yes, you read that correctly. Since 1885, a candy company in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, has been making one of Canada's more unusual sweet treats.
Invented by Ganong candy maker Frank Sparhawk, the original Chicken Bones have a spicy cinnamon candy shell with a bittersweet chocolate centre.
More than 140 years later, they're still a holiday tradition for many Canadian families. And the collection has grown to include Chicken Bones bark, bites, nougat and more.
Who knew Chicken Bones could have such a sweet history?
THE TINIEST GROCERY RUN · ONTARIO
Velanidi
These little bags of groceries aren't for eating. They're earrings.
Toronto artist Dina Baxevanakis has found a way to make grocery shopping look adorable, creating miniature food jewellery from polymer clay.
Her creations include tiny mesh bags filled with miniature oranges, lemons, garlic and other familiar foods. Every little detail is carefully crafted to look like the real thing.
Dina started Velanidi after graduating from OCAD University in 2020, and her orange-bag earrings went viral on TikTok later that year.
Even the business name has a sweet story. Velanidi means acorn in Greek, a tribute to her grandfather, who loved making little charms from acorns.
A DATE WITH A PUZZLE · NOVA SCOTIA
SootStock
What if figuring out today's date was part of the fun?
In Halifax, Nova Scotia, father-and-son team Traverse and Alex Davies have found a clever way to combine technology with traditional craftsmanship.
Their business, SootStock, creates wooden and leather products, including a calendar that's also a puzzle. It's their most popular creation, bringing a little brain-teasing fun to something we normally take for granted.
Traverse brings 30 years of experience in IT, while Alex has a background in artificial intelligence and automation.
Together, they're proving that sometimes the best ideas come from mixing old-fashioned craftsmanship with modern technology.
GROWING UP, NOT OUT · ALBERTA
Eden Tower
A virtual farm in a video game inspired a real Canadian gardening invention.
It started when Alberta's Ryan built an automated farm inside a video game and began wondering whether he could do something similar in real life.
His sister Tessa, who was studying environmental science, suggested hydroponics. Soon, the siblings were experimenting in their parents' garage.
Their idea grew into Hope Innovations and the Eden Tower, a vertical indoor gardening system that lets people grow fresh herbs, lettuce and other produce throughout the year, without needing a backyard.
Their father, Brad, is now part of the family business too.
From video-game farming to the real thing. That's quite a harvest!
BRYSON CLELAND · ONTARIO
He started performing on the streets at 12. Now he's taking his music to bigger stages.
Meet Bryson Cleland, a young musician from Thornbury, Ontario, who's been sharing his love of music with audiences around the Georgian Bay area.
Bryson plays guitar, piano and sings. He got his start busking in Collingwood and has since performed at community events, local venues and Owen Sound's Summerfolk music festival.
There's something wonderful about seeing a young Canadian musician putting in the work, finding his audience and doing what he loves.
We think you'll enjoy getting to know him!
Who should we spotlight next? 🎨
Know a Canadian artist, photographer or musician more people should discover? Reply to this email with their name and a link to their work. Self-nominations welcome!
KNOW A CANADIAN BUSINESS WE SHOULD DISCOVER?
Is there a Canadian business, product, founder or place that more people should know about? Send us your recommendation and tell us what makes it worth discovering.
Your suggestion could be featured in an upcoming edition of More Canada Please.
What would you like to see more of in future editions? 🇨🇦
Another week, another reminder of just how much creativity and talent there is across Canada.
One of my favourite parts of putting More Canada Please together is discovering businesses and people I might never have come across otherwise. And so many of those discoveries start with recommendations from readers like you.
If you know a Canadian business, product, person or place we should check out, send it our way. And if something caught your attention this week, consider forwarding this email to someone who might enjoy it too.
Thanks for being part of our growing Canadian community!
Until next week,
Dan
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