There is a long history of free items being included in boxes of tea.  A popular promotional prize was the 'Wade Whimsies' porcelain figures included with Red Rose Tea in the 1960s. Tea cards were another popular promotional item with cards being included with boxes of tea from 1954 all the way to 1999.
As charming as those porcelain figurines and vintage trading cards are, my collection is strictly focused on stationery. Luckily for me, King Cole Tea for a short time gave away pencils.  King Cole Tea is a Canadian brand of tea that is made by G.E. Barbour Inc. (Barbours), a company based in Sussex, New Brunswick. This brand of tea was started in 1910 and the company is even older. King Cole gave away sets of 5 colorful pencils with boxes of tea in the mid-1950s. These came in several different colors. The one below has English text but they were also printed with French language text as well.

Below is a picture of a full set of free pencils and an advertisement showing "5 Jolis Crayons Gratis" from 1954. Each of the five pencils was a different color: red, grey, blue, orange and yellow. The pencils have "Made in Canada" written on the top but I don't know which Canadian manufacturer whould have made this.

King Cole also had pencil cases and ink blotters and mail-in promotions. I don't have a pencil case but below is an image of an advertising ink blotter.  

I'd love to find more examples of these pencils but they are a pretty rare find. The ink blotters seem to be much more common than the pencils.

It is time once again for the Canadian Census. The census of population takes place every five years and this year marks the 24th nation wide census. During the 1971 and 1976 census in Canada, census packages included a pre-sharped pencil to complete the form with. Since millions of these pencils were manufactured and they were widely distributed, they are not especially rare. I shared my collection of census pencils during the last census in 2021.  Recently I found a much less common pencil from the 1974 test census.

After the 1970s, pencils were no longer manufactured for the census. These old pencils are a reminder of a different era. Currently, the census is completed online so there is no need for a pencil.  

Yesterday was the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby. This race takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Until I recently found the pencil shown below, I had no idea that Prince Edward Island is sometimes called the 'Kentucky of Canada.' This is due to its long-standing tradition of harness racing. Similar to how Kentucky and it's 'Kentucky Derby' are synonymous with horse racing in the United States, PEI boasts the 'Governor's Plate' race in Summerside. This summer will mark 150 years of harness racing in Summerside.

I have no idea how old this pencil is, but the knurled ferrule on the end makes me believe it is vintage and most likely manufactured by Eagle Pencil. Perhaps this was purchased at the Summerside Raceway which is believed to be the oldest, continuously raced horse track in Canada.

In 1964, Prince Edward Island initiated an island-wide celebration to honor the centennial of the Charlottetown Conference, effectively jumping three years ahead of the rest of Canada’s 1967 national centennial. This early start was to commemorate September 1, 1864, when leaders from the Maritimes and Upper/Lower Canada first met to debate the union of the colonies. P.E.I. is pround of its identity as the "Cradle of Confederation." Canada's 1967 national centennial celebrates the date when the British Parliment officially passed the British North America Act in 1867.

The pencil below was manufactured by Eagle Canada to commemorate the celebration.

P.E.I. again celebrated a centennial anniversary in 1973 with the anniversary of the date that they officially joined the confederation.

So within a ten year period, Islanders got three different centennial celebrations! Perhaps we should just call it party island.

The Canadian Weekly, insert to the Montreal Gazette, 16 May 1964
P.E.I. WHOOPS IT UP
by ALAN EDMONDS

CHARLOTTETOWN — While the rest of Canada is in a tizzy of confusion wondering how (and sometimes whether) to celebrate the nation's official 100th birthday in 1967, the littlest province of all — Prince Edward Island — is happily one jump ahead with an invitation to the world to visit its shores and celebrate the Centennial of Confederation this year.

This may seem a little presumptuous of the 107,000 people who live on the crescent-shaped island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, particularly since P.E.I. did not even join Confederation until 1873. But on the first day of 1964 the island's dignitaries publicly cut a mammoth birthday cake to launch a year-long, island-wide party at which the province will be whooping it up in honor of the Centennial of Confederation three years ahead of the rest of Canada.

On May 1 work was finished on a massive $5,600,000 cultural complex of theatre, conference halls, art gallery and museum which is Canada’s first monument to the nation’s founding fathers. It was christened on May 18 when the Dominion Drama Festival was staged there, and will be formally opened in October by the Queen, who will spend two days in Charlottetown at the start of her visit to Canada. And throughout the rest of the year the farming and fishing villages scattered around the 120-by-35 mile island will be staging Centennial celebrations of the kind optimists hope to see across Canada in 1967.

Justification for all this is that the seeds of Confederation were sown in Charlottetown on Sept. 1, 1864 — a hitherto widely ignored event in Canadian history. On that date the steamship Queen Victoria arrived in the harbor at Charlottetown, where leaders of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. were about to debate plans for confederation of the Maritime provinces. Aboard the Queen Victoria were John A. Macdonald and 12 other members of the cabinet from Upper and Lower Canada (Ontario and Quebec were then jointly administered) come to proffer a grander plan: The union of the Canadas and the Maritime colonies in one new nation, Canada.

There was to be another Confederation meeting at Quebec in October that year, at which the terms of union were threshed out. The British North America act, which still serves Canada as a constitution, was not passed by the British Parliament until 1867 — and it is the 100th anniversary of this which Canada observes in 1967.

But to Prince Edward Island, Confederation really began the day visiting politicians steamed into harbor to be met by a committee of one — the local secretary of state, who borrowed a skiff to row out to the Queen Victoria. Their arrival passed unnoticed by the islanders, who that day were more interested in the circus which had come to Charlottetown than in the birth of a nation, though ever since the province has proudly worn the label: "Cradle of Confederation."
[...]
To Canada the P.E.I. Centennial is an overture to the nationwide celebrations planned for 1967, though there is a widespread feeling among islanders that the rest of Canada is ignoring the province in this, its vintage year. They are partly mollified by the fact the Canadian Mint has issued a P.E.I. Centennial dollar (it also marks the Quebec Confederation meeting) and the post office is thinking about a commemorative stamp. But islanders are, to a man, furious with National Centennial Administration Commissioner John Fisher for not mentioning P.E.I.’s celebrations when interviewed about the national Centennial on a CBC public-affairs TV program in January.
[...]

This is a fun little collection of vintage DIY pencil toppers. I can imagine kids crafting these homemade pencil toppers to put on their favourite pencils. These easy, nostalgic crafts were often made using pom-poms, ribbon, yarn, felt, pipe cleaners, wooden spools and other bits found around the house. These toppers are on a variety of old Canadian pencils. There are retail pencils from Eaton's and Steadman's.  There is also a Berol Grand Prix in a natural finish. The final pencil is from the Kings Landing Historical Settlement in New Brunswick. This was officially opened in 1974 so I'm guessing these pencils are probably crafts from the early 1980s which would by a typical date for the Berol Grand Prix pencil as well.

As most Canadians know, a national census takes place every five years.  The 2026 census is coming up in May and households will receive a letter informing them how to complete the census online. What fewer people know is that two years prior to the national census, a test is conducted to refine questions and methodologies. Two years before the 1976 census, a test was conducted in three cities: the Trois-Rivières region of Quebec (chosen for its predominantly French-speaking population), a district in northern Ontario representing an ethnic mix, and a large section of south-central Saskatchewan including Moose Jaw. Only about 84,000 households participated in total. While over 6 million pencils were manufactured and distributed coast to coast for the national census in 1971, only a relative few were made for the 1974 census test.  They are a half-length pencil and seems to have been factory sharpened. 

Regina Leader-Post newspaper May 24, 1974
Mini census count begins
MOOSE JAW (Staff) — Residents here may be somewhat confused this week in finding not one, but two, enumerators knocking on their door.
One enumerator is conducting a mini census count and the other is enumerating for the upcoming federal election on July 8.
R. A. Wallace of Ottawa, assistant chief statistician for Canada, was in Moose Jaw recently to explain the mini-census.
"To begin with," he said "this census was set up many months ago, long before we knew anything about a federal election and once the wheels were set in motion it had to go on."
Three areas in Canada have been designated for the census test May 28 as a dry run for the national nose count scheduled for 1976.
Involved are:

• Trois Rivières and Trois-Rivières Que., selected because it is a predominantly French community;
• The Temiscamingue-Nipissing-Timiskaming district Ont., which represents an ethnic mix, and
• A large section of south-central Saskatchewan including Moose Jaw and a large number of farm operators who do not live on their farms.

Mr. Wallace said test censuses are always conducted two years ahead of a national census so that the methods and procedures to be carried out can be tested and to ensure that questions and instructions are both specific and clear.
As in the 1971 general census, the test will feature self-enumeration and most answers can be given by filling in appropriate circles.
The census taken in Moose Jaw will include both a short and a long questionnaire. Every third householder will receive a 20-question-long form while the balance will receive an eight-question short form.
As well, farmers will be asked to participate in a test of agriculture census.
One of the key features of the agriculture test is to check new methods for locating farmers who do not live on their farms.
"Information from these growing groups of people is important if a complete and accurate picture of the Canadian agriculture industry is to be presented," said Mr. Wallace.
When all the information is in from the three test areas processing of the completed questionnaires, which constitutes part of the test, will take place in Ottawa.
About 84,000 households will receive the questionnaires.
Residents of the three areas are required by the Statistics Act to co-operate in the test census in the same way as a regular census. By the same token, the act assures them of confidentiality when they turn in the completed forms. However, penalties including both jail terms and fines are provided for any Statistics Canada employee convicted of a breach of confidence in dealing with census material.
Anyone having difficulty with the questionnaire may call the census office in Moose Jaw at 693-5141 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily except Sunday from Thursday, May 23 to Friday, May 31. Anyone not being able to call on a local toll basis should call long distance and ask for Zenith 0-1974 to reach the telephone assistance service without charge.
Completed census forms are to be mailed May 28 in the urban areas and in the rural areas they will be picked up by the census representatives.
"We feel that everyone in the Moose Jaw area will co-operate with us in this mini-census," said Mr. Wallace.

The bright green Cane's Tara HB pencil is an artifact with a story that stretches from Canada all the way back to the ancient hills of Ireland. St. Patrick's Day is a celebration of Irish Culture and heritage and few Canadian-made pencils embody that spirit quite like this one.​

William Cane, the patriarch of the family business that bears his name, was the descendant of Irish parents who came to the Queensville area of Ontario in 1834. He would go on to found the Wm. Cane and Sons woodenware company in Newmarket, Ontario, and eventually become the town's first mayor. That Irish heritage were reflected in the companies pencils. Tara was almost certainly a reference to the Hill of Tara, the anceint  seat of the High Kings of Ireland. It seems fitting that these pencils are painted green, like the grass of the hill that inspired their name.

These pencils were produced in the early 1920s, when Howard Cane, William's grandson, had taken the helm of the family business. This was around the time of the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921), a period of intense Irish nationalism. Naming these pencils Tara in that moment wasn't just sentimental. It was a quiet statement of Irish solidarity.
​
Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!

Woodward's was a pioneering Canadian department store chain that operated in British Columbia and Alberta for over a hundred years. ​It was founded in Vancouver in 1892 by Charles Woodward. This department store became a cornerstone of life in Western Canada. Like many other iconic Canadian retailers of the era, Woodward's had a stationery department. They sold store-branded pencils, colored pencils and other stationery items. 

The late 20th century brought significant challenges as the retail landscape shifted. Despite its deep roots, Woodward’s filed for bankruptcy in late 1992. By 1993, the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) purchased the chain, converting locations into "The Bay" and Zellers stores.

Today, these vintage pencils are tangible artifacts of a vanished era of Canadian commerce. It is hard to date something like this but the fancy ferrule and the lack of a UPC barcode makes me believe this is pre-1970s. I wonder what happened to the missing pencil from the set of 18 pencils shown below?  Maybe some day I'll find a similar Woodward's pencil to bring this set back up to its original number. 

This blog usually focuses on Canadian stationery, but certain objects earn an exception through their family connections and unique histories. The portable Corona 3 typewriter from my grandfather's house was one such item. The latest addition is the pencil sharpener from my paternal grandmother's sunday school classroom.

Acquiring this pencil sharpener wasn’t as simple as a modern "point and click" online purchase. This Boston Vacuum Mount pencil sharpener was redeemed by collecting green stamps. S&H Green Stamps was a popular loyalty program where retailers issued small, perforated stamps for every dollar spent on groceries, gas and other items. They had to be carefully collected, licked, and pasted into special booklets before they could be traded in at a local "Redemption Center." I read that during the 1960s, S&H printed more green stamps than the US Postal Service printed postage stamps.

My grandmother probaly got this in Oregon between 1962-1964. The sharpener is in very good condition considering it's more than 60 years old. She saved up the necessary green stamps and traded them in at a local redemption center (no catalog needed as there was a spot in town, Lipman's department store). My grandmother passed away in 1970 so she only used this sharpener for a few years. I don't think it's been used much since then. The vacuum mount base still works amazingly well. Often, the rubber base can get stiff and brittle and no longer hold the sharpener securly.

I had no idea what "program pencils" were I went looking for a description. It turns out that program pencils are tiny pencils attached to a dance card by a short cord or ribbon. No wonder I wasn't familiar with this type of pencil. I'm old, but dance cards are still before my time. I don't think I've ever seen a Canadian made program pencil. I did find this Canadian dance card from almost 100 years ago. It is from the Feb. 17, 1928 Annual Ferranti Staff Dance in Toronto, Ontario. Ferranti Electric (later Ferranti-Packard) was an electrical manufacturing company that was  established in Toronto in 1912 as a subsidiary of the UK firm. The card has a Johann Faber program pencil attached that was made in Bavaria.

Several Eberhard Faber catalogs are shown below (note that Ebherhard Faber was the younger brother of Johann Faber). The first catalog from 1923 has a description of Program Pencils; "The dance order is a very important detail of the fashionable dance. Eberhard Faber Program Pencils add to the attractiveness of the dance order. These pencils are made in the following polishes and may be obtained in assorted or solid colors: Dark Red, Light Green, Light Blue, Lavender, White, Pink, Yellow. White is packed in solid colors only; No. 1480 and 1490 are also made in black and silver polishes, packed in solid colors."