Take a trip back to the grocery stores of 1970s Canada, where these forgotten favorites once lined the shelves.
Astro Fruit-on-the-Bottom yogurt in glass jars
Before yogurt came in plastic tubs and squeeze pouches, Astro came in small glass pots with foil lids. They came in several flavors. And you had to spoon the whole thing together as the fruit preserve settled completely at the bottom of the pot.
Astro is still a big brand in Canada, but those pots were phased out due to cheaper production and transportation costs with plastic.
Laura Secord tubs
Laura Secord diversified from its chain of chocolate shops in the 1970s when it introduced take-home ice cream tubs to supermarket freezer cases. Offered in hard wax-coated cardboard boxes featuring the Laura Secord logo, available flavours included Parlor staples such as French Vanilla, Mocha Fudge and Burnt Almond.
After the company re-oriented itself around freestanding candy shops, the grocery store ice cream tubs were quietly retired.
Bee Hive Golden corn syrup in tin cans
In the 1970s, Bee Hive Golden Corn Syrup was a staple for baking traditional Canadian butter tarts and topping Saturday morning pancakes.
Sold not in squeeze bottles but in tall, bright yellow tin cans with press-on metal lids (you had to use a butter knife to lever them open), the distinctive tin disappeared from shelves when the industry switched to squeezable plastic bottles for syrups and sweeteners.
Shirriff Jelly Powders
Shirriff was Jell-O’s biggest competitor back in the 1970s in Canadian supermarkets. Available in shiny cardboard boxes, Shirriff Gelatin included a variety of colours/flavours such as traditional strawberry and lime, and other vintage flavours used for gelatin fruit rings and gelatin salads.
Shirriff eventually discontinued its gelatin powders and began concentrating on pie fillings, leaving Jell-O to take centre stage in the dessert aisle.
Woodbury facial soaps and bath bars
Available in most Canadian drugstores and grocery stores during the 1970s, Woodbury soap claimed to be a milder soap that left users feeling more beautiful.
It came in the traditional paper wrapping, and many people had it in their homes growing up. However, with the rise of body wash and international beauty brands, Woodbury went out of production in Canada.
Catelli wax-paper pasta boxes
Montreal-based pasta company Catelli used thick cardboard boxes enveloped by heavy-duty wax paper to package its macaroni and spaghetti. The wax paper was sealed around each box to keep moisture out and the contents fresh.
This resulted in a wax coating on the outside of the package that reflected light and felt different than other products on grocery shelves. In the 1980s, Catelli switched to lightweight cardboard boxes with clear plastic windows.
Salada Tea iced tea mix in glass jars
Salada Tea was established in Toronto and became a nostalgic brand name. Introduced during the 1970s powdered drink frenzy, Salada Tea provided instant iced tea in thick glass jars.
The plastic, screw-on metal lid contained sweetened, lemon-flavored powder that would mix right into cold water. Bottled ready-to-drink iced teas and canned sodas pushed out powders from Canadian store shelves.
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