The price of a candy bar in 1947 was 5 cents. Exactly one nickel. But when the war ended, controls were removed from the prices. The Wigwam in Ladysmith raised the price from 5 cents to 8 cents, a 62% price increase! Sixteen year old Parker Williams and his school chums were outraged! That increase represented a significant cost increase when the average allowance for a teenager was less than a dollar.

Signs were painted, Parker actually decorated his old car, a 1923 McLaughlin. A parade was staged, and it was so successful they actually turned around and went back up the street.

In an article in the Ladysmith Chronicle when Parker was 77 he was quoted as saying:

“Folks should protest in a constructive, peaceful manner about things they don’t think are right”.

Unfortunately, the price went up and continues to do so. The candy bars get smaller, but maybe that is because our hands were getting bigger!