Ice Cream Scoops and Dishers have a long history of being manufactured in Orillia.

Starting in the 1920s the Fisher Motor Company on West Street South made a varnished wood handle scoop as well as an all metal scissor handle scoop for commercial use, both being made in five sizes. In 1926 Fisher also patented and sold a scarce “Cold Dog” ice cream scoop with a wood handle.  Fisher was reorganized into the Tudhope Metal Specialties Co. in 1928 and continued to market both types of dishers, changing the wood handles from varnished wood to a painted blue handle in 1940.

In 1950 Tudhope introduced a color for each size using black for the largest size # 12, #16 blue, #20 green, #24 red, and the smallest #30 in yellow. All of these wooden handles where also made in Orillia at Canada Wood Specialties. In 1934 Tudhope patented a “No Pac” disher, in a size #30 with varnished wood handle, changing to a red handle in the 1940s. This scoop had a dollar size hole in the back of the bowl and was nicknamed the “depression scoop”.  The hole allowed the storekeeper to scoop ice cream into a cone without packing the bowl. This would give him several extra cones to sell from each gallon of ice cream, an important feature during tough times.

Lear Seigler continued to sell dishers after the Tudhope plant closed in the 1970s. Hunter Industries also sold wood and plastic handled dishers for a few years after Lear Seigler retired the line.