Deb Ehrens

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St. Stephens, New Brunswick

St. Stephen's, New Brunswick on the Canadian side of the St. Croix river, is a small town that has seen better days but was the perfect stopping place for the night.  At the recommendation of our friendly hotel clerk we walked down to Carman's Diner.  Like diners all over, it has placements with little advertising squares from local companies.  This ad really caught my attention: Chicken bones, candy, immigration and guns all together...Really.....

A Canadian chicken bone

Well, I had to see this and fortunately the store was open when I went for my early morning walk.  It turns out Chicken Bones have nothing to do with fowl and everything to do with sugar.  This local confection is made largely by hand in Canada's oldest candy factory, Ganong's, here in St. Stephen's.  A chocolate and cinnamon filling is rolled and kneaded by hand into a pink sugar coating that is cut and baked.  The shopkeeper in Stuarts explained that standards for chicken bones are quite exacting, and any that don't measure up are sold as seconds.  "They are just as tasty, just not as pretty," he said with a smile.

And I can't close without showing you the best looking trashcan couple ever.  They live outside Carman's Diner.