It’s cookie season again in Ontario! Traditionally, in the spring we would be selling the classic vanilla and chocolate cookies. However, due to Covid, this is our second round selling this type of cookie within the same Guiding year as Covid caused the 2021 spring cookie campaign to be moved to fall 2021.
Canadian Girl Guide Cookies is quickly coming up to its 100th anniversary. The first cookies were sold in Canada in 1927 by Christina Riepsamen and the 4th Regina Guide Company in Saskatchewan as a way to raise money for her unit’s uniforms and camping equipment. She backed and packaged everything herself and two years later cookies became the official fundraiser of the Girl Guides of Canada. In the early decades of Cookie selling, cookies were organized provincially and made by a local manufacturer.
Girl Guides of Canada haven't just sold the Classic Cookies in the spring and Minty Cookies in the fall. In the past, we have sold sugar cookies, shortbread, vanilla cream, and even a maple cookie. In 2021, there was even a youth lead online petition to bring back maple. 1988 was the only year we sold peanut butter cookies (and I’m told Mr. Christie’s Pirate cookies are a good substitute for those wondering what they tasted like. Mr. Christie also made the Girl Guides cookies for many years). In 2014, the Classic Cookies were certified as Kosher.
So here is a fun look back at the cookies boxes that I have in my Canadian collection.
Special thanks to everyone on the Facebook Page who helped date boxes!
Thanks for Reading! - Em
Suncrisps Girl Guide Cookies Box- ‘The Independent Biscuit Company’ was the Alberta Council cookie source as early as 1940 to 1957. Read my full blog here.
1968 Cookie Box
1980 Cookie Box
1985 Cookie Tin - Made for the 75th anniversary of the Girl Guides of Canada.
1996-1999
2000 - 90th Anniversary of Girl Guides of Canada
2010- 100th Anniversary of the Girl Guides of Canada
2008- 2012
2012-2019
2019- Current - The current boxes have a number of different photos.
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