[Transcribed from The Summerside Journal 3 May 1943]
ENJOYABLE DINNER MARKS OPENING DEHYDRATION PLANT
Observing in splendid fashion the opening of the new dehydration plant in Summerside, the directors of Island Foods Inc., gathered at the Clifton Hotel Friday evening along with a group of invited friends and sat down to a splendid dinner.
The event took place following a meeting of the directors in the afternoon at the plant, where, at two different periods, the directors and others present had the pleasure of seeing the plant in complete operation.
Mr. Austin A. Scales, President of Island Foods Inc., presided at the evening function, at which were present Premier and Mrs. Thane A. Campbell, Mayor W. J. Lidstone, Dr. C. C. Eidt, Ottawa; Senator J. A. MacDonald, Cardigan; Hon. H. H. and Mrs. Cox, Geo. P. Thompson, Colonel and Mrs. G. E. Full, Mr. and Mrs. H. F. MacPhee, Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Fisher, all of Charlottetown; Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Scales, Freetown; Mr. and Mrs. Roy MacLean, Souris; Mr. and Mrs. Russell Clark, and Mr. Harry MacKay, Mount Stewart; Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Allen, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. J. P. MacInnis, J. Elmer Murphy and J. J. Enman, Summerside.
Mr. Scales after having welcomed the visitors, gave credit to Premier Campbell as the man responsible for bringing the plant to P. E. Island. The plant had been in course of construction under difficult conditions to a regrettable extent.
During the dinner, Mr. Scales requested a show of hands from those who thought they were eating dehydrated potatoes. Seven persons responded and on being asked those who thought they were not eating dehydrated potatoes fourteen put up their hands. In this case the majority were wrong as all the guests were eating dehydrated potatoes. Actually the potatoes were indistinguishable from ordinary cooked potatoes.
The Premier being next called upon expressed his pleasure at being present and declared that any part he might have had in endeavoring to bring the plant here would have proven futile if the project had not been taken up by Mr. Scales, Colonel Full, and Mr. L. R. Allen and associates. He felt sure that the guarantees from the government would not be taken by the promoters as an excuse to lie back and let events take their course but rather as a challenge to make it a financial success. The Premier said he hoped this plant and possibly others that might be established in the province will use many of the farm products of the Island.
The Premier extended the good wishes of the government and the people to Mr. Scales and his associates.
Mayor Lidstone said this was a day of which the citizens of Summerside might feel quite proud. The citizens have watched this development and the people concerned in it with a great deal of interest. He had had the pleasure of seeing the plant in satisfactory operation and it was most gratifying. He was delighted to welcome the president and directors of the company to Summerside on this occasion. His Worship, in conclusion, regretted that fruit growing in the province was not being carried out to the extent of years ago and believed that with the development of orchards in this province the value of dehydration could be greatly extended.
Mr. Donald Baker, President of the Summerside Board of Trade brought greetings of that body and very best wishes.
Dr. C. C. Eidt, Assistant in charge of Fruit Products Division, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, was then called upon by Mr. Scales. Dr. Eidt congratulated Summerside upon having a dehydrating plant. He went into some of the details of dehydration stating it was still in its infancy. There was one field here for the work which was wide open and should prove of great value as an after the phase of the industry. This is the dehydration of blueberries and cranberries, which under the process were in their finest state.
He thought our number one priority is transportation and our second is food. The answer to the food problem with reference to transportation is to get it in its magnificent form and the answer to that is dehydration. He referred to still newer processes that they are working on whereby partly dehydrated foods are compressed into bricks or cylinders. 50 army servings of cabbage can be condensed into a can the size of an ordinary can of peas. This condensation is at present possible with all vegetables except potatoes. There are definite possibilities in dehydration as a peace time effort. At present the only consideration is from a standpoint of winning the war.
He referred to the fact that it was not possible to fill the quota asked for last year in dehydrated products but said it would be different this year. Over half of the foods dehydrated in Canada this year will be potatoes and over half of these will be processed in the Maritimes. After the war we will need dehydrated foods to feed the starving peoples of Europe. He said the people of the Island by this industry were making a distinct contribution to the war effort.
He complimented the company on the construction of the plant and said he was quite pleased with it and said it should operate seven months a year on a 24 hours a day basis. Today one ton of dehydrated produce was finished and next week it should be up to 32 tons.
The speaker referred to his having designed the local plant and congratulated those who had carried out the work of its construction and declared that if there was a Hall Manufacturing Co. representative present he would also like to extend congratulations to him upon their work on the equipment. Through the plant here he considered a fine contribution to the war effort would be made.
The National Anthem brought the proceedings to a close.
