The Company

The pamphlet, For Your Enjoyment Bee Hive Golden Corn Syrup Recipes was created by a major Canadian manufacturer of corn-based starch products known as the “St. Lawrence Starch Company Limited” (the name of the company is provided on the last page of the pamphlet). The company was established in 1889 by John Gray in Port Credit, Ontario and it remains and operates as a privately-owned company by the Gray family till this day!

Downsizing

The artefact mentions a variety of other corn-based products such as Durham Corn Starch manufactured by St. Lawrence Starch Company limited apart from the corn syrup and it appears that these products cater to a range of different industries such as pulp and paper, the pharmaceutical industry, alcohol, and textile. The products are being marketed to users as they are mentioned on the very last page of the pamphlet along with the company name. St. Lawrence Starch Company built a corn wet milling factory at the foot of Centre Road (now Hurontario Street) in Port Credit. As the company primarily manufactured corn-based products, it was forced to downsize as a result of Canadian governments 1987 imposition of a countervailing duty against subsidized grain corn and sold its major trademarks to Best foods and ceased large-scale domestic production. St. Lawrence Starch ceased operations in March of 1990, one hundred years after the first steep of corn was ground, starch dried, and shipped by horse and wagon to the rail siding. At its peak, the St. Lawrence Starch Company was the largest employer in historic Mississauga! The name "St. Lawrence Company Limited" was chosen because it was readily identifiable with Canada but not associated with a particular area or province.

Scandal

St. Lawrence Starch Company Limited was also involved in a major scandal in the mid-1930s with its principal competitor, Canada Starch Company over which brand of corn syrup was to be fed to the famous Dionne quintuplets for their first feeding of milk and corn syrup. The Dionne quintuplets were the worlds first surviving quintuplets, so they were in a spotlight since they were born. The corn-syrup that would’ve been used for their first feeding would be advertised to people all around the world. Bee Hive was confirmed to be used to feed the quintuplets and St. Lawrence Starch Company was granted exclusive advertising rights. The guardians of Dionne quintuplets agreed that no other brand of corn syrup would be similarly endorsed. Canada Starch Company argued during litigation -which occurred between 1935-1937- that St. Lawrence Starch Company’s association with the quintuplets was hurting their business but in 1937, the lawsuit was dismissed, and the costs were awarded to St. Lawrence Starch because the case against them didn’t provide strong evidence. The Bee Hive Golden Corn Syrup pamphlet uses the blend of milk and corn syrup as one of their ‘quickies’ and also the pamphlet also mentions that duo in the Bee Hive for energy page explaining that it provides babies with the milk with “ideal carbohydrates” and “quick acting energy” to the babies. (For Your Enjoyment Bee Hive Golden Corn Syrup, pg. 2)