While living in Montreal artist Michael Anstead started the world's greatest collection of items from businesses employing "bec" as a suffix. He was inspired out of grief, as his own stained glass company had been wiped out by an inferior competitor called Tiffanybec.The collection included artifacts from the Escabec stair company, Viand-o-bec butchers, Logibec computers, Visbec plasterers, Habitabec magazines, Aquabec beds, Cuisibec kitchens, Florabec flowers, Savbec soap, Pharmabec, Oeufs Bec-O, Partagebec dating, Calvabec liquer, Nutribec dog food, Beignebec donuts, Cafebec,Croc-en-Bec chips and of course tons of Canbecs.
Unfortunately he gave the entire collection away at a going away party prior to his departure to Vancouver in 1992 and nobody knows where it is now. Nowadays it's a little harder to find the "Becs" of this world but we think it's never too late to try. So send us your pics, bottle caps, matchbooks from anything from Can-Bec to Delico-bec and we'll see that your glory is remembered forever.
Coq-O-Bec "serves up delicious chicken and spare ribs." (4201 Bannantyne St. at the corner of Galt in Verdun, 514-767-6444)
ReplyDeleteRip-O-Bec Wood Shavings Inc. "makes quality bedding for animals." (629, chemin Bourret, St-Apollinaire, Que.)
Marché Viand-O-Bec Inc. (1205 Des Cascades, St. Hyacinthe)
Patat-O-Bec Enr. (4 Rte Lallemand, Levis)
Vac-O-Bec (1255 Leeds Ave., Ottawa, Ont.)
Fromagerie Hamel-Glac-O-Bec (622 Rue Notre-Dame, Repentigny)
Patisserie Resto O Bec Fin (5607 Park Ave.)
fudgeobec.com (alternative domain for Clic.net, a marketing company).
Fraises--O-Bec. Pick your own strawberries and raspberries, and greenhouse vegetables. (1488, route 169 Métabetchouan-Lac-a-la-Croix)
We wanted Gro-bec grocery stores, but those never came to pass (they were comic artist Jacques Boivin (Melody)'s idea.
ReplyDeletePlastibec, not-so-famous underground avant-garde band, early 2000's.
ReplyDeletePersonal favorite as seen on the tarmac at Trudeau International: Air Creebec.
ReplyDeleteTiffanybec was the highest quality stained glass ever produced in Quebec. If you're lucky enough to own one, you know what I mean. If Michael Anstead went out of business, it was certainly not because of an inferior product from someone else. The whole concept of being wiped out by something inferior does not make logical sense anyway...
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