I always love a deeply rooted backstory when I dive into my columns. This one begins about a year ago when I first arrived in the Border City.
I just got my library card and was looking for some local history books when I stumbled across Lloydminster and District Co-op 100 years.
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For just $10 I unlocked all the history the Co-op has to offer, and since then, I’ve been waiting for the right time to write about our local co-operative.
It all started back in 1914. Some notable items were of interest to the locals; a plowshare could be sharpened for 45 cents and coal oil was sold for $10.60 including the barrel. The historic first day for the Co-op would be on June 12, 1914. On a warm day, the Greenwood School yard filled with saddle horses, buggies and carts bringing farmers from the Greenwood and North Gully districts. There were 24 people there for the Co-op’s organization meeting.
Stanley Rackham was elected chairman. Rackham was described as the lynchpin to the whole Co-op movement in Lloydminster. It didn’t take much to convince people they needed a Co-op. With a capital of $5,000 and 200 shares, the motion to create a Co-op Association under the Saskatchewan Co-operative Association Act was passed unanimously, and 30 shares were sold that day.
Fast forward a few years to 1919, the first annual general meeting was held at the Alberta Hall. Sales for 1918 were $377,796. That is a substantial chunk of change for the time. Clearly, the business was off on the right foot and people saw the value.
In 1921, the Northern Hardware Company was bought out, Co-op had their very first new store. In 1928, the newly expanded Co-op store opened for business once again. This time, sporting a full-sized basement, stock elevators and a mezzanine floor for offices and rest rooms. Sales reached $449,000, continuing the upward trend.
Unfortunately, 1929 was the year of the great fire in Lloydminster and the Co-op building was not spared. With the exception of the lumber yard and buildings just north of the tracks, all of the Lloydminster Co-op’s buildings were destroyed.
Membership grew in 1930, however, the great fire affected sales. Co-op sharpened their focus to lumber, coal, hide, implements, binder twine, groceries, outfitting, hardware and saddlery in 1931.
Marwayne Co-operative was formed in 1945 and in 1947, the Co-operative Women’s Guild was formed. The idea was to promote Co-operative programs, send young people to Co-op school and sponsor students to the Co-op College in Saskatoon.
I’ll chat more about the rest of the history of the Co-op later, but talking about the women’s guild is a good lead into the thing that was on my mind when I first thought of Co-op, their involvement in the community.
Since I’ve been here, it’s hard not to see their name everywhere. Events always seem to be supported by the Co-op, whether it’s water, food or donations, they always seem willing to help.
They have plenty of programs as well. Just last week I was at Spread A Little Love, which aims to put a smile on seniors faces during the holiday season. I never knew about Co-ops until I moved out west and immediately saw the gas bars everywhere. Today, Co-op operates food stores, gas bars and convenience stores, home centres and more. Coming from humble beginnings in Lloyd, people certainly saw the vision in what they had to offer.
I’m happy to see businesses supporting local. Sometimes when a company gets too big, they lose sight of how it all began, and I’m happy to see that doesn’t appear to be the case. But I guess that’s the Co-op difference.
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