Company Promotions

As I search for Canadian Jigsaw puzzles I continue to be amazed at the ones that I find. One of the most interesting are puzzles designed as promotions for various companies. They don't necessarily reflect anything Canadian but as they are definately made for Canadian companies then they belong in these pages.

A&W Restaurant
Title: The Great A&W Root Bear's City
Date: 1984 (on puzzle, not on box)
Size: 40.6 cm x 27.9 cm (16" x 11")
Pieces: 60
Made for: A&W Food Services of Canada ltd,. North Vancourver, BC V7M 1S1

A&W Restaurant
Title: A&W Kid's Pack Toy (Item #150036)
Date: none
Size: 120mm x 92mm (4 3/4" x 3 5/8")
Pieces: 24
Made for: A&W Root Beer Company of Canada Inc.

Dufferin Game Room
Title: Baseball
Date: none on box
Size: 51 cm x 69 cm (20" x 27")
Pieces: 100
Made for: Dufferin Game Room, no address on box
Note: Box says "Classic Collection" which leads me to believe there might be more in the series. If I find more I'll move this from promotions to its own category. I asked at my local store and none of the staff knew that their company had previously released puzzles.

MacLean's Magazine
Title: Treasure Hunt
Date: 1989
Size: doesn't say
Pieces: doesn't say
Made for: MacLean Hunter ltd. - no address on box
Note: This was a puzzle with book and clues to solve a treasure hunt for which the player could win up to $100,000.

The Pop Shoppe
Title: The Pop Shoppe presents Capt. Cola
Date: 1975
Size: doesn't say
Pieces: doesn't say but I counted 400 pieces
Made for: Pop Shoppes of Canada Ltd., 450 Highbury Avenue, London Ontario (no longer in business)
Note: The Pop Shoppe used to be in every province in Canada and this puzzle maps their locations. Box stores and very cheap prices for soft drinks drove them out of business. This promotional puzzle is interesting in that the towns and cities mentioned don't necessarily represent the bigger centres of population for the country. There are also some images such as a comical stereotype of an Indian or a bear caught in a leghold trap that would not be tolerated today.