Gilbert White Ganong

Gilbert White Ganong

Gilbert White Ganong, confectionery manufacturer, politician, lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick 1917 (b at Springfield, NB 22 May 1851; d at St Stephen, NB 31 Oct 1917). Persuaded by his brother, James Harvey Ganong, to give up teaching for commerce, he came to St Stephen in 1873 and opened a grocery and commission business, which was shortly expanded into a bakery and confectionery manufactory. In 1878 the brothers opened a soap factory as well. Their staple, Surprise Soap, sold nationally until 1946 when the factory was closed by Lever Brothers Ltd, its owners since 1913.

Their confectionery business developed into Ganong Bros, Ltd, still a Canadian-owned confectionery company. In 1889 Gilbert White Ganong invented and patented a process for printing the company name on the bottom of chocolates and for years used the advertising slogan "The Maker's Mark on Every Piece."In 1896 Ganong was elected MP for Charlotte County; he was re-elected twice and in 1917 was appointed lieutenant-governor of NB.