Sid Sunflower Seeds Story

By Caroline (Bercovitch) Fruman

(1913-1992)

(This story was written October 1988 and was dedicated to the memory of 
Sid Bercovitch)

Love and the necessity being the mother of invention applies to the beginning of a Regina Base industry called “Sid's Sunflower Seeds” proudly bearing Sid Berovitch's name.

Sid was born in Russia in 1912, the youngest son of Sam and Rebecca Bercovitch. He had one bother, Fred and two sisters Celia and Tamara. Their father immigrated to Canada with his eldest son Fred in 1912 and settled in Regina, establishing a tailor shop on Broad Street. Sid, his two sisters and mother followed 10 years later. This was the first time Sid had seen his father, since he was six months old when his father left Russia.

Smoking was not allowed on Sabbath, so Sid's mother would roast a big pan of sunflower seed for her sons to eat on Saturday.

Sid and Caroline 1940s

Caroline (Marcovitch) Berocvitch 

In 1935 Sid married Caroline Marcovitch, youngest daughter of Abraham and Gertrude Marcovitch. They lived at 606 Dewdney Avenue in the Innismore district of Regina. As times were hard in the 1930's, Sid had a hard time finding steady work. He was employed in the mail-order of the Army and Navy Department Store, however was laid off work twice a year. Caroline worked for Julius and Babe Simons at the Simon's Style Centre.

In 1941 “Sid Sunflowers Seeds” business started out of a necessity for survival when Sid got laid off and Caroline was not returning to work due to illness. They started roasting seeds, just like Sid's mother did. He packaged them and stapled them to a card. The first packages were sold to the Jewish boys who would meet to play cards around a big table in the back of Dave Yanovitch (Young) Deli and Berenbaum's convenience store. This first sell sent Caroline and Sid on the road of the roasted sunflower seed business and an income.

There was no candy during the war and the wholesalers saw the packages of seeds and approached Sid to supply them for their distribution. Caroline would roast 10 pounds of seed a day on her cook stove in her kitchen and Sid would package them to a card. A neighbour would print “Eat Sid Sunflower Seeds” on the card. They sold in minutes.

Caroline spent long hours in her kitchen roasting seeds. She wore a hole in the linoleum in front of the stove. Said said if they ever worked their way up to have their own office and building she would have that pan gilded, like parents did their baby's shoes.

From the kitchen stove they graduated to the garage, built by Joe Kirtz, in back of their home. When they made their final payment of $150.00 they discovered the lumber was so dry that the knots dropped out, making holes. The whole garage had to be lined with card board.

Sid bought a cheap cook stove from Eatons and hired a young school boy, Herman Peters, to help with the stirring on the sunflower seeds. The seeds had to be turned every 10 minutes so they would roast evenly and not burn.

Packing Seeds. 

Sales of the seeds increased and their first 100 pound bag was bought from Steele Briggs. Sid was very fussy and wanted to obtain first quality seeds. The demand for seeds led to buying a larger place and bigger stove. 

In 1943 they purchased a livery barn, with two wooden doors, at 1323 Lorne Street. After talking to the milkman, Caroline learned that Regina Bottlers had a roasting machine that was once used to roast peanuts. Sid bought this first machine, which was heated by coke, for $50.00, The first time they lit it up the neighbours from Innismore district came to watch.

Their first 200 pound sack of seeds was bought, on time, from Steele Briggs. The manager called Caroline his “Little Sunflower” and she referred to him as the “Grand Father” of their business.

The packaging went from cellophane bags to white and red bags with “S.S.S.” - (Sid Sunflower Seed) printed on them. The S.S.S. was created by Caroline which means in Jewish “Eat Eat Eat”.

The demand was so great for the roasted sunflower seeds that they found it necessary to have another oven. A company called “Brandt” built an electric one using the coke-ran one as a design. In order to supply the sales of the seeds to wholesalers across Canada Sid had to increase the staff to 56. Many Reginians remember working for Sid.

Caroline and Sid

Sid and Caroline operated a side business for a few years called Sindey's  which sold jewellery and home decorations.  

Sid and Caroline worked in their business for 35 years when in 1971 Sid passed away.  In 1975 Caroline sold the Sunflower Seed business which continued it's great potential of growth and success, as seeds are not only sold in Canada but in England and many other places.

In 1992 reports that sales volumes of 1800 tonnes in 1985; 3150 tonnes in 1989. However by 1991 the sales was less and by 1992 the new owners declared bankruptcy and the operation of the Sid's Sunflower Seeds was shut down after 54 years in Regina.