I've long thought this was the case since I got a set of Hunter's Dog coins out of Winnipeg and 1963 CFL coins of the Blue Bombers with the Hunter's brand name on the back are very common. But Hunter's branded Argonauts, Rough Riders, Tiger-Cats and Alouettes are also common while there seem to be no Hunter's branded Eskimos, Stampeders or Lions. This would be very strange for a Winnipeg based company since the Blue Bombers were in the Western Conference.
Moreover I've received blank looks from those dealers and Winnipeg residents I've asked about Hunter's. Do any of you Winnipeg fellows even recall Hunter's Potato Chips being sold in Winnipeg?
Yes, I found that as well. But!!! I can't shake the suspicion that I'm the source of perhaps the misinformation that Hunter's was based in Winnipeg. I believe I told Andy Malycky that Hunter's was a Winnipeg company when he contacted me for whatever information I could provide on the 1963 CFL coins and whatever else when he was writing his Collecting Canadian Football book. That information about Hunter's is in his book.
But I've still not been able to find anyone who remember Hunter's Potato Chips in Winnipeg or anywhere else. Even more disturbing is this early Humpty Dumpty Potato Chip bag advertising the 1963 CFL coins free inside:
So I'm wondering now whether I was wrong about Hunter's being in Winnipeg. What really bothers me is that everybody could be copying misinformation originating from me!
My memory is a bit of a mess but - posting pictures - brings back memories. Those coins (and others) were pretty universal "collectible" add ins for many brands.
So it does indeed seem as if Hunter's was based in Winnipeg. I managed to get in touch with Andy Malycky and he emailed me this ad from the 14 September 1963 Winnipeg Blue Bomber program promoting the 1963 Hunter's CFL coins:
That looks like Herb Gray or perhaps Norm Rauhaus on the left of the picture and Bud Grant on the right.
I also found a Hunter's Manufacturing Co. Limited at 85 Lombard Street in Winnipeg in the "Miscellaneous Food Industries" section of Statistic Canada's Annual Census of Manufacturers for 1963. Perhaps a strange name for a chip company but I found their name as well among Canada's cheese producers in 1942.
What puzzles me though is that I still haven't come across anyone from Winnipeg who remembers Hunter's Potato Chips. Very strange.
I tried a street view of 85 Lombard St. That address is no longer in existence. However I did find an ad in a Jewish newspaper....I was unable to copy & paste.
Is it possible that Hunter made chips for Nalley and didn't brand anything? I reached out to the Toga Chip Guy. Maybe you have already as well. He has lots of potato chip history but no mention of Hunters.
Nalley's was based in Tacoma, Washington and produced/sold potato chips in British Columbia and Alberta at the time but I'm not sure Nalley's sold chips as far east as Manitoba in 1963. Perhaps one of you fellows remembers and can tell me.
In any event, I see no reason why Nalley's would have needed Hunter's to produce chips nor would it have made sense for Hunter's to produce a competing brand of chips for the Manitoba market.
Toga Chip Guy? Thanks for the tip. I'll look him up because I have several other chip related questions of my own.
