Jigsaw Puzzles
Maps of Canada

I have just started to collect jigsaw puzzles of maps of Canada. I'm a beginner so I don't know what I'm getting myself into. In this category it does not matter if the company making the puzzle is Canadian just as long as the map is of Canada. I have all but one of the puzzles below. Each puzzle is illustrated although some images are not of the full puzzle. I will soon take photographs of the full puzzle and post those.

• Forever Toys
  Title: Canada
  Number: SK845
  Date: 2002.
  Number of pieces: 14
  Size: 29 cm x 21 cm
  Company: Forever Toys, Oyster Bay, NY 11771.
  Comments: Frame Tray Puzzle. Wooden. Features a matching picture under each puzzle piece. Simplistic child's puzzle but is fully bilingual including Quebec locations.

• Hoyle
  Title: None (maybe According to Hoyle...)
  Number: Model #5221
  Date: 2002.
  Number of pieces: 100
  Size: 25 cm x 33 cm
  Company: Hoyle Products, Cincinnati, OH 45212 (1-800-863-1333)
  Comments: Illustration by Sue Ahbe/Saba Design. Not a bad design although I don't think kids really needed an insert showing the tips of Ellesmere Island. Most of the images used are appropriate for location except the totem pole in the NWT.

• Larsen
  Title: Canada
  Number: K11
  Date: None given but after the creation of Nunavut in 2000.
  Number of pieces: 48
  Size: 35.5 cm x 28.5 cm
  Company: L.A. Larsen, Norway (made in co-operation with Borgfeldt (Canada) LTd.
  Comments: Frame Tray Puzzle. Interesting facts on the map.

• Larsen
  Title: Canada
  Number: none given
  Date: 1995 (Date used for population stats)
  Number of pieces: 48
  Size: 35.5 cm x 28.5 cm
  Company: StJERNESPILL - L.A. Larsen AS, 4401 Flekkefjord, Norway
  Comments: Frame Tray Puzzle. Similar to the above but a more simple puzzle.

• Leapyear
  Title: Canada
  Number: None given.
  Date: 2001
  Number of pieces: Two versions of same puzzle. 100 piece puzzle and 40 piece giant floor puzzle.
  Size: 100 piece is 38cm x 28cm (15" x 11") while 40 piece one is 60cm x 45 cm (24" x 18")
  Company:Leap Year Publishing, USA
  Comments:

• Lights, Camera
  Title: I will find out more on this puzzle. I've misplaced my own copy.
  Number:
  Date:
  Number of pieces:
  Size:
  Company:
  Comments:

• Lights, Camera
  Title: Canada
  Number: #129
  Date: none given (post Nunavut 2000)
  Number of pieces: 48
  Size: 36cm x 26 cm
  Company: Lights, Camera, Interaction!, Inc. P.O. Box 590, Westport, CT 06881 (1-800-284-3948)
  Comments: Wooden. Made in Taiwan.

• Map Smart
  Title:
  Number:
  Number of pieces:
  Size:
  Date:
  Company:
  Comments:

• Master Pieces

  
  Title: Really Big Floor Puzzle: A Child's First Map of Canada
  Number: #10301
  Date: None Given
  Number of pieces: 36
  Size: 61 cm x 92 cm (24" x 36")
  Company: Masterpieces Puzzles Co., 1376 Wests St. Mary's Road, Tucson, AZ 85745
  Comments: Isn't the girl on the box a little old for this puzzle?

• Parker Brothers
  Title: Historical Jig-Map of Canada: Canada. Land of Destiny.
  Number: None Given
  Date: 1967 (Centennial symbol on box indicates a special centennial issue.)
  Number of pieces: None Given. Approximately 500.
  Size: 18" x 24"
  Company: Parker Brothers Games Ltd, Toronto, Ontario
  Comments: One of the nicer puzzles in relation to the images used to portray Canada's history. The images aren't comical and there are some very distinctive images not used on other puzzles such as the Haida off BC or the Newfie Bullet in Newfoundland. Shows images reflecting the war of 1812. The most interesting image is one that you'd likely not find on a puzzle today - a picture representing whaling.

  Puzzle came with a reference sheet.

• Popshop
  Title: The Pop Shoppe presents Capt. Cola
  Number: None given
  Date: 1975
  Number of pieces: Not given (about 300)
  Size: Not given
  Company: Pop Shoppes of Canada Ltd., 450 Highbury Avenue, London, Ontario (Now Gone)
  Comments: An advertising puzzle from the Pop Shoppe. While most cities are the same as everywhere else, since they used only cities where there were Pop Shoppes then you get a few odd selections such as Darmouth in Nova Scotia instead of Halifax.

  There are some images that you would not see on puzzles of today such as some discriminatory images of First Nations people and a comical image of a bear in a leghold trap. Not comical images 25+ years later..

• Puzzle Patch
  Title: Picture Puzzles
  Number: None given
  Date: 1992
  Number of pieces: 25 pieces
  Size: 35cm x 27 cm
  Company: Puzzle Patch Puzzles, USA
  Comments: Interesting that they made the puzzle of a scale that Newfoundland had to be an insert. The only puzzle I have that does that.

  
  

• Regal Stationery
  Title: Canada
  Number: None given.
  Date: None given. One website said they bought a copy in 1983.
  Number of pieces: 208
  Size: 35.56 cm x 41.91 cm (14" x 16.5")
  Company: Regal Stationery Company Ltd, Toronto, Ontario, M4G 2L6
  Comments: Fairly straight forward puzzle. Interesting in that it shows images representing fur trapping.

• Somerville Title: Map of Canada Pictorial Jig Saw Puzzle
  Number: D101
  Date: 1962
  Number of pieces: 400
  Size: 22" x 16"
  Company: Somerville Industries Ltd., London, Ontario
  Comments: Came with historical data enclosed. Another puzzle with good quality historical and geographical images to represent Canada.

• Smart Toys
  Title: Canada
  Number: None given.
  Date: 1997 (But shows the future 2000 Nunavut)
  Number of pieces: 80
  Size: 35.5 cm x 40 cm
  Company: Smart Toys (no other information given)
  Comments: An interesting and detailed frame tray map. Map is ringed by the various provincial/territorial flags, coats-of-arms, birds and flowers. A side bar shows some wildlife of Canada as well as having those images located in the map so you can do a "search and find". As a naturalist I found their wildlife list much better than most since they included some important albeit smaller Canadian species (pika, lemmings, prairie dog) that are often ignored in favour of the larger more charismatic species. Their wildlife list also correctly includes birds, fish, reptiles and insects (although only one of the latter two) whereas most wildlife lists only focus on mammals.

  The map also has noted sailing ships that brought European explorers to Canada or had some impact on Canadian history.
  The map doesn't just note that the USA is south of Canada but shows the state boundaries so you can see how many states border Canada. There are 14 BTW if you include the states across Lakes Erie, Huron and Superior. And they are?

• Toy Galaxy
  Title: Learn n' Fun Map of Canada
  Number: #34343
  Date: None
  Number of pieces: 35
  Size: 29cm x 20 cm
  Company: Tox Galaxy is an importing company, a Division of Mikeway Inc.
  55 Idema Road, Markham, Ontario L3R 1A9
  Comments: This company is mainly known as a company who imports items for Dollar stores - where this puzzle was purchased.
  Being an inexpensive puzzle this one has interesting typesets - many names look like typical IBM Courier text. The placement of names is also odd such as the dot for Regina looks like it could be for Moose Jaw or Brandon too. Some odd selections in Manitoba and it looks like "Quebec City" was left out by accident.

• Unknown
  Title: Dominions of Canada with Newfoundland
  Number:
  Date: 1930's? (according to web page)
  Number of pieces: unknown
  Size
  unknown Company: Philips?
  Comments: Found this map on a web page with the following text "Dominions of Canada with Newfoundland. Play & Learn dissected map puzzle in Deco style paper covered box. Size 12.5 by 9.5 inches."

• Unknown
  Title: Unknown. Portguese Text.
  Number: Unknown
  Date: Unknown
  Number of Pieces: 14 (but possibly missing some)
  Size: 24cm x 15 cm (but likely larger)
  Company: Unknown
  Comments: An interesting map since some of the words are in Portguese. It's a foam map and the one I have doesn't look complete. I was wondering if this was used for ESL training. Both Yukon and Saskatchewan are spelt wrong.

• Victory
  Title: Industrial Life of Canada
  Number: 7485
  Date: None given but looks about late 1960's or early 1970's (bilingual).
  Number of pieces: 125
  Size: Doesn't say and I forgot to measure it when I made it. Next time.
  Company: Victory is the brand name but made in England by G. J. Hayter & Co. Ltd., Bournemouth - a subsidiary of J.W. Spear & Sons Ltd. (Box is very much like other Spear and Son products.)
  Comments: Plywood Puzzle. Interesting concept for a British map - the industrial life of Canada. One of the few puzzles showing the old districts of the NWT - although Franklin is missing.

• Waddington
  Title: Map of Canada
  Number: 183
  Date: 1986
  Number of pieces: 300
  Size: 88x57cm (35"x22")
  Company: Waddington Sanders Ltd., Bramalea, ON L6T 2J6
  Comments: Contains full size wall map. Image based on Map M-125. A somewhat dull puzzle to do but a good size. Can still be found on some small town store shelves.