Paul Gallant facts for kids

Paul-Émile Gallant (July 17, 1944 – September 13, 2011) was a Canadian inventor. He is best known for creating Puzz-3D, which are special three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles. He also invented the Wrebbit Puzzle Machine and the Perfalock flat foam puzzle.

Early Life and Career

Paul-Émile Gallant was born in Edmundston, New Brunswick. He started his career in the music industry. For about 18 years, he worked for companies like Trans Canada Musique and Columbia Records. He also worked for the CBC.

Inventing Puzz-3D

In the late 1980s, Gallant changed his career. He decided to work in the toy industry. He wanted to create a new type of puzzle. This new puzzle would be three-dimensional.

He worked on his idea for about a year. In 1989, he made his first 3D puzzle. He used a special foam, like the kind in airplane cockpits. He laminated the foam with paper. Then, he built a small wall on his kitchen table. This was the first Puzz-3D.

Wrebbit Inc. and Global Success

Gallant's new Puzz-3D puzzles were unique. You could build models of real buildings or landmarks. Once finished, you could display them forever. He started his own company called Wrebbit Inc. with Rene Binette. The company's logo was a friendly frog.

Puzz-3D puzzles were launched in 1992. They quickly became very popular. In 1991, Gallant drove to FAO Schwarz in New York. This was a very old toy store. He convinced them to order 72 puzzles right away. This helped Puzz-3D enter the US market.

Wrebbit and Puzz-3D grew quickly. The puzzles were made in Canada. But they were sold in over 40 countries. By the year 2000, about 30 million Puzz-3D puzzles had been sold worldwide.

Company Changes

In 2001, Irwin Toys bought Wrebbit. However, Irwin Toys closed down in 2002. Paul-Émile Gallant then became the owner of Wrebbit and Puzz-3D again. In 2005, he sold Wrebbit to Hasbro. Hasbro is a big international toy company.

Awards and Recognition

Paul-Émile Gallant received many awards for his work.

• In 1995, he won the Canada Export Achievement Award.
• In 1996, he received the Canada-America Business Achievement Award.
• In 2008, he was honored. He was added to the Canadian Toy Industry Hall of Fame.

Later Life

Paul-Émile Gallant passed away on September 13, 2011. He was 67 years old. He died in Laval, Quebec, from brain cancer. He was survived by his three children and ten grandchildren. His wife, Françoise, had passed away in 2010.