Milk men, egg men, and bread men– Oh, my!
Peddling goods from house to house used to be a thing! Some readers (of a certain age) no doubt remember the Fuller Brush Man, for example, dropping by your house periodically to sell his wares. He carried his goods with him in cases which he opened up in your mother’s kitchen so she could browse and buy. Growing up in Souris, the Egg Man made regular stops at my house as did the Milk Man. My husband, a Cape Bretoner, recalls the Bread Man coming to his house frequently – a necessity, really, as he lived with his parents and 10 siblings.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
No matter how remote they lived, early settlers in rural Canada depended on peddlers to get their necessities
These mobile salespeople, who made the rounds by car, were a modern version of the early peddlers who carried their heavy and often unique backpacks full of their wares to small towns, villages, and the sparsely populated areas. No matter how remote they lived, early settlers in rural Canada depended on peddlers to get their necessities. Their arrival was eagerly awaited.
On Prince Edward Island, in the late 19th century, a mass immigration of Lebanese people contributed greatly to the province’s development through their commerce. Most of the Lebanese men barely had their feet planted in PEI soil before they began visiting various areas of the countryside peddling goods. Much of their travel was on foot for three or four days at a time. Their packs, weighing up to 100 pounds, were stuffed with staples like suspenders, shoelaces, sewing supplies, fabric, items of clothing and health and beauty aids.
From Molly Malone to Mary Manette…
Many peddlers sold one or more food products. Perhaps you have heard of Molly Malone, a fictional Dublin lass who “wheeled her wheel-barrow, through streets broad and narrow…crying, ‘cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!'”
Well, Mary Manette, great-grandmother of company owner Jordan McIntyre, also travelled many miles on foot to sell fresh seafood. More than a century ago, she traveled through the night by horse and wagon from West Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia, to set up her fish stand bright and early at the Halifax Farmers Market. While she did not go door to door, she certainly helped fill a gap in the formal market economy and made freshly caught fish more accessible to city folks.
Mary Manette’s seafood, known for its exceptional flavour and freshness, was highly sought after and quickly sold out. Quality was important to her; likewise, it is a top priority for this company named in her honour. Mary Manette Seafood, infused with flavourful brines, natural woodsmoke and lots of fresh ocean air, is hand-packed to ensure only the best product makes it into the tin.
Mary Manette at the Halifax Farmers Market, 1919
From peddling to CanadaPost…
Luckily for you, you don’t have to wait for a peddler visit or eat at a fine dining establishment to enjoy a Mary Manette Seafood. You can now order it online and have it shipped directly to your door. Peddling hasn’t died, it’s just gotten more efficient!
We shipped this out west just last week! We are so happy to see our products being enjoyed all over Canada!
Photo by @asderi_ on Instagram!
