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A master tinsmith and entrepreneur, Michael F. Abbott established his first business in western Newfoundland in 1886. His tinsmith shop was built in an area on the east end of Bay St. George beach known as 'The Gravels'. Abbott went on to build and operate a general store which provided food, clothing, household furnishings, fishing supplies and farm tools to all of the settlements on the Port au Port Peninsula, and later became involved in fishing industry and pulpwood logging ventures around the Bay St. George area. A brief partnership with Harry Haliburton of Nova Scotia, saw the name of the company change to Abbott and Haliburton, a name it carries to this day. With 117 years of history, the Abbott store is the oldest continuously operating commercial enterprise on the west coast. Abbott and Haliburton is currently operated by Abbott's great-grandson Harold and Harold's son Bill - the fifth generation in the business.
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Robert Charles Anthony was born on September 22, 1916, in Kelligrews, the son of Andrew and Frances Anthony. Robert received his early education in Kelligrews and graduated from high school at Bishop Field School in St. John's. Financed by scholarships, he then completed 2 years at Memorial College.
Robert began his career as a schoolteacher but in 1943, entered the insurance industry with Steers Insurance. In 1952, he left Steers Insurance and started his own insurance company incorporating it as R.C. Anthony Insurance Ltd. In 1977, Robert retired from active business turning over control of a very diversified insurance conglomerate to his three sons, Rex, Gerald and David, a conglomerate which had expanded to Ontario and the rest of the Maritimes.
Although Robert had an extensive involvement in the development of the insurance industry in Newfoundland; he never lost his keen interest in education. In 1954, he became a member of the Anglican School Board and served as chairman for several years. He was chairman of the Anglican School Board when the various boards were consolidated to form the Avalon Consolidated School Board in 1968. Robert was named as the first chairman of this newly created board.
Robert Charles Anthony passed away in May 1997 at the age of 80.
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Lewis Haldane Ayre was born on April 22, 1914, in St. John's, the son of Harold C. and Agnes Ayre. Lewis received his early education at the Methodist College in St. John's; Mostyn House Prepatory School in Cheshire, England; and Wrekin College in Shropshire, England.
Returning to Newfoundland in 1931, Lewis began a business career which spanned more than 50 years. Starting at Ayre & Sons Limited, a firm founded in 1859 by his great-grandfather, he was appointed a director of the company in 1942. During the next forty years, as leader of the family business, Lewis transformed Ayre & Sons Limited from a wholesale, mail-order department store operation on Water Street to a successfully diversified business enterprise operating from coast to coast in Canada. Under the guidance of Lewis, Ayre & Sons Limited became a leader on the provincial business scene.
Lewis was actively involved in public service. He was president of the Newfoundland Board of Trade when Newfoundland voted to join Canada and president of the Newfoundland Cancer Society and of the St. John's Curling Club. He was a member of the Board of Regents of Memorial University, the Newfoundland Royal Commission on Education and the Newfoundland Canadian Brier Curling Team. He was the first chairman of the St. John's Transportation Commission, the founding chair of the St. John's Heritage Foundation and a trustee of the Olympic Trust of Canada. In 1981, he was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada.
Lewis Haldane Ayre died in December 1985.
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Charles Renfrew Bell was born in St. John's on December 1, 1901, the son of the Hon. Samuel K. Bell and M. Ellen (Crosbie) Bell. Charlie was educated at Methodist College School in St. John's; King's College School in Windsor, Nova Scotia; Lower Canada College in Montreal; Royal Military College in Kingston; and McGill University in Montreal.
In 1933, Charlie took over a bankrupt food brokerage business, James Gear Ltd., and from that developed the company now known as Charles R. Bell Limited. He expanded the company's portfolio to include such well-known household products as Libby's Beans and other Libby Products, Javex Bleach, Cream of Wheat cereal, Cow Brand Baking Soda and Kellogg's Corn Flakes. In 1934, he added a Marine Division to his company representing Outboard Marine.
Charlie had other business interests as well. In 1945, he and his cousin, Ches Crosbie, took over Gaden's Limited which had the franchise to bottle Coca Cola and its own line of soft drinks, Keep Kool. The cousins also teamed up with Edgar Hickman whose family owned and operated the Bavarian Brewing Company, bottlers of such products as Jockey Club, Red Label and latterly, Blue Star beers. This partnership went on to enjoy the largest market share of beer and soft drink products in the province until the companies were sold to Labatt Brewing Ltd. in 1962. The three friends at one time were major shareholders and directors of United Towns Electric, the forerunner to today's Newfoundland Power, Newfoundland Telephone Company and Eastern Provincial Airways.
Charlie was also a generous benefactor to the community, most of which he did anonymously.
Charles Renfrew Bell died in 1983 at the age of 82.
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Roger Bidgood is the founder and president of Bidgood’s Wholesale Ltd. Bidgood’s was started in 1947 when Roger took over his mother’s general store and home in the outport community of Petty Harbour. Bidgood’s grew into a wholesale business, fish plant operation, a retail supermarket, shopping plaza and producer and exporter of its own Newfoundland product line.
The business grew from Roger Bidgood’s love and appreciation of Newfoundland and its resources, especially its people. This appreciation inspired the ideas that have made Bidgood’s the unique and successful business it remains today. Many cottage industries all over the province depended on Roger to subsidize their livelihoods.
Four attributes founded and governed Roger Bidgood’s life: his Roman Catholic faith, his love of the outdoors and his dogs, his strong work ethic, and his unconditional generosity to others.
Roger Bidgood was born in Petty Harbour December 11, 1922 as one of seven children - four sisters and two brothers. His mother Maggie had a great entrepreneurial spirit and his father, who was a fisherman by trade, passed on his quiet ways to Roger. While both brothers died at an early age, his four sisters remained a constant support to Roger throughout his life.
In 1947 Roger married his life long partner Jennie Walsh from Goulds. They took over the general store in Petty Harbour, which included the running of the local post office, and Roger began his wholesale business. He purchased a truck and began selling products along the southern shore for companies such as Mammy’s, Browning Harvey Ltd., A.E. Hickman & Co, and Newfoundland Margarine. Two of his six children were born in Petty Harbour.
In 1953, on the advice of his doctor, Roger and his family moved to the Goulds where he built a new wholesale facility and began to expand his truck fleet and move into the retail food business. In 1958 he expanded his fish plant operation in Petty Harbour and in 1963 he opened the first full service supermarket on the southern shore called Bidgood’s Food Centre.
Roger has great determination that helped him overcome many obstacles in his life. Through fires and sickness, creditor problems and the cod moratorium Roger prevailed and provided always for his family. His wife Jennie has played a very supportive role through out the years, and through their collective good works the Bidgood family name has become synonymous with community spirit and generosity in the Goulds and Petty Harbour areas.
Roger is well respected and admired by all that know him. He conducted his business affairs with integrity and fairness and many times with compassion. His most common answer to most requests was “No Problem”.
Today, his sons and daughters operate the business that he helped establish, as they carry on the tradition so ably started by their father. Roger Bidgood passed away on October 6, 2004, at the age of 81.
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Sir Eric Vansittart Bowater was born in England in 1895. Following the death of his father in 1924, he became managing director of W. V. Bowater and Sons and three years later was named chairman. In 1936, Sir Eric arranged to purchase a paper mill on the West Coast of Newfoundland and formed Bowater Newfoundland Pulp and Paper Mill.
Bowater played a major role in the construction of the Queen Elizabeth II Library at Memorial University with a generous contribution and also donated land for the construction of Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook. The City of Corner Brook has honoured the Bowater family in many ways including naming the Lady Margaret Bowater Park for his wife.
During the war years (1939-1945), Bowater entered the British Ministry of Aircraft Production where he acted as Director General, Deputy Controller and Controller between 1940-1945. After the war, expansion in North America continued, and the company began to acquire interests in Europe. He was knighted in 1944.
Sir Eric Vanisttart Bowater died in 1962.
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Joseph Lacey Butler was born on November 12, 1901, in Port De Grave to James and Clara Butler. James left home at the age of 13 and traveled to the coast of Labrador where by the age of 18 he had become a Marconi Communications operator.
Joseph worked in Makovik, Labrador, and Sable Island as a radio operator. In 1930, he became an instructor in wireless operations with the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in Boston. In 1932, he returned to St. John's to build a transmitter on McBride's Hill for the Newfoundland Telephone Company - VONF. In 1936, he acquired controlling interest in VOCM and transformed it from a ham licence to a commercial operation with a 100 watt transmitter.
VOCM's community involvement over the past 50 years has made it a leader in promoting public events. Joseph generously provided the facilities of his radio station to public services and was proud of the appellation applied to VOCM – “voice of the common man”, which he used on his letterhead and in radio broadcasts. The VOCM Cares Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization, is synonymous with the care and assistance shown by Joseph for the underprivileged throughout the province. Today, the foundation is a testament to the strong values of Joseph and his outstanding and enduring contribution to business and community development throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
Joseph Lacey Butler died on July 19, 1954, the result of a plane crash while searching for a four- year-old boy.
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Joseph V. Butler grew up in St. John’s. In 1950 he started his career at VOCM, a small radio station started by his father, Joseph L. Butler in 1936. However, after his father’s untimely death, Joe found himself managing the radio station at 22 years of age.
During his time as president, VOCM became a powerful radio station, becoming the most listened to network in Newfoundland. VOCM won over 65 news awards, and in 1992 Joe was inducted into the Canadian Association Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Joe also found the time to help charities by starting the VOCM Cares Foundation. Through the foundation he helped to fund numerous provincial charities. He also brought the Children’s Wish Foundation to Newfoundland and Labrador, supporting it through corporate sponsorship and is presently their honorary chairperson. Currently Joseph is involved in Metal World Inc. which has completed major fabrication projects for Voisey’s Bay Nickel and the offshore oil industry.
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Angela Cantwell Peters was born on March 10, 1930, in St. John's, the eldest of Peter and Madeline Withers’ nine children. Angela received her early education at Presentation Convent in Carbonear and at Mercy Business College in St. John's and also completed advanced management and business courses at Harvard and York universities.
In 1947, at the age of 17, Angela began her career at Bowring Brothers Limited with a job in the steno pool where she progressed through various management positions until 1978 when she was named president. In 1979, she was named chief executive officer and in 1980, while retaining the title of CEO, Angela was named chairman of the board. In this capacity, she was responsible for all North American insurance, real estate and retail operations including 81 Bowring Little Shops throughout Canada and the United States. In 1984, Marsh & McLellan, owner of the St. John's- based Bowring Brothers, sold the company, and Angela retired having worked there for thirty-seven years.
Throughout her career, Angela was actively involved in business and public service having served as a member of both the St. John's and Halifax Boards of Trade, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Retail Council of Canada. She also served on the Honourable Donald MacDonald's Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada. She was vice chair of the Board of Regents of Memorial University of Newfoundland and chair of its Finance Committee. Angela served on the advisory group to the Prime Minister on Senior Public Sector Compensation and on the Standards Council of Canada. She was a member of the Grand Jury for Selection of Canada Awards of Excellence and served on the Committee to Recommend on Investor Immigration for Canada.
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Geoffrey Conrad Carnell was born in St. John’s on January 19, 1915, the son of Andrew and Mabel Carnell.
Geoffrey Carnell entered the family business as an apprentice wheelwright at the age of 17. The company, established in 1780, was a diversified business involved in the provision of funeral services and the manufacture and repair of carriages, sleighs and leaf and coil springs. In 1937, when he was only 23 years old, Geoffrey was named president and managing director of Carnell’s Carriage Factory Limited. In addition to being president of the company, he was also a licensed funeral director and embalmer.
In an effort to stay abreast of changing trends in the automotive industry after WW II, Geoffrey undertook the expansion and modernization of the mechanical operations of the carriage factory. In 1956, he expanded the funeral services offered by his company. In 1974, the company name was changed to Carnell’s Limited and consisted of five divisions -- the funeral home, spring shop, muffler shop, office and warehouse rental and an agency for toys, pools and dozens of other consumer goods.
As well as leading a successful business enterprise, Geoffrey Carnell found time to follow his father into politics. He was elected as a councillor for the City of St. John’s in 1958 and in 1962, was elected as the Liberal member of the House of Assembly for the district of St. John’s North. He was later appointed a judge of the Canadian Citizenship Court of Newfoundland.
Geoffrey Conrad Carnell died on February 15, 1987.
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The founder of the Cohen’s furniture chain, Boyd Cohen was born in 1930 in Windsor, Newfoundland.
The Cohen family history in the province dates to the turn of the century when Boyd Cohen’s grandfather Simon emigrated from England to work with the Newfoundland Clothing Company in St. John's. In 1919, he established a general store at Grand Falls Station, which later became the Town of Windsor.
Simon’s sons and grandchildren later joined the family business, and established business enterprises of their own. His son Michael became General Manager of the family business. He was in turn, succeeded by his son Boyd.
In addition to the furniture business, Boyd Cohen was a driving force behind other ventures in central Newfoundland including the launch of Central Cable Systems in Grand Falls and various Real Estate operations.
He has served as president of service clubs in Grand Falls-Windsor including the Lion’s Club and Rotary Club, and was a founding member of the local Board of Trade that became the Grand Falls-Windsor Chamber of Commerce. He was also president of the Allied Buying Group, a consortium of Independent Furniture Dealers from across Canada.
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Arthur James Coleman was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, on November 25, 1902, the only son of Arthur Coleman Sr. and Mary Gracie.
In 1934, Arthur and his wife, Margaret, moved to Corner Brook and set up a confection store. Moving to a new location one year later, the business grew steadily. The inventory was expanded to offer general merchandise, groceries, dry goods, hardware and crockery. In 1950, the Colemans took the innovative step of opening the first self-serve grocery store in western Newfoundland in the basement of their home. Self-serve grocery stores caught on in western Newfoundland and during the 1960’s and 1970's, the company expanded operations to include other grocery outlets in Corner Brook, Deer Lake and Port Aux Basques. The company diversified into clothing and furniture retailing. Ventures into automotive dealerships, gasoline retailing, real estate and the restaurant business were also made during this period of rapid growth.
From humble beginnings in a small store on Broadway in Corner Brook, Arthur’s business has grown to an operation employing 600 people throughout Newfoundland. The present-day company is run by third generation Colemans and operates twelve supermarkets, four furniture stores as well as a clothing and restaurant business. Outside of the large national chains, the Coleman Group is the largest integrated independent wholesale and retail operation in Atlantic Canada. In 1998, the Caribou Road outlet in Corner Brook was recognized as the best grocery store in Canada by the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.
Arthur James Coleman passed away on January 10, 1970.
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Henry Collingwood was born in St. John’s on May 6, 1918, and has been a business leader for most of his life.
Hank, as his friends call him, started with the family business, Baine Johnston & Company, at the age of 17. By 1959, he was named president of the firm and in 1972, was appointed chairman and chief executive officer. With the decline of the cod fishery in the early 1950’s, the company sold its Battle Harbour plant and withdrew from the fish trade. A further change occurred in 1963 during the redevelopment of St. John's harbour when Baine Johnston abandoned their original premises on the waterfront for a new location on Kenmount Road in St. John's. This building houses the head offices as well as a retail furniture trade. Throughout Newfoundland, Baine Johnston is involved in various enterprises, including the retail and wholesale trade, insurance, and the ownership of several retail properties.
Hank has served on the board of directors of many Newfoundland and Canadian companies and has assisted with many charitable foundations. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross of Royal Order of St. Olav in 1975 and was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1990.
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Chesley Arthur Crosbie was born in St. John’s in 1905. Chesley was educated at Bishop Field College, St. John's, and St. Andrew's College, Ontario.
Upon completing his schooling, Chester entered his father’s salt fish business and in the mid-1930’s, experimented with the use of beam trawlers to supply fish for his curing plant at Harbour Grace. Chester promoted the herring fishery as president of Herring Unlimited; the processing and reduction of herring and fish meal as president of Newfoundland Dehydrating Process Co. Ltd.; the processing of other fish products as president of Newfoundland Homogenized Fish Co. Ltd.; and the prosecution of whaling and sealing as president of Olson Whaling and Sealing Ltd.
In 1933, the Crosbie-Olsen vessel Ungava recorded one of the largest single catches in the history of the seal hunt. Chester pioneered deep-sea trawling in Newfoundland with two vessels, the Imperialist and the Cape Agulhas, after investigating the industry in Hull, England, in the early 1900’s as president of the Newfoundland Trawling Co. Ltd. Chester was also president and founder of Eastern Provincial Airways, Chimo Shipping (1954) Ltd. and Holdings Corporation Ltd.
Chesley A. Crosbie died in 1962.
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John Chalker Crosbie was born at Brigus, Newfoundland, on September 11, 1876, the first born of George Graham Crosbie and Martha Ellen Chalker.
His father died when he was 16, and young John left school to run the family hotel. At age 24, John started the family's flagship operation, Crosbie and Company, the first major local exporter of fish. While John worked tirelessly to find international markets for the fish that were the lifeblood of the British Colony, he soon began to diversify his interests, moving into fish oil product insurance, shipping and construction and later a major margarine operation - the Newfoundland Butter Company.
John's involvement in politics seemed almost a natural extension of his business life. He was elected to the Newfoundland Government in 1908 and a year later became a member of the Executive. He was placed in charge of the island’s shipping, ensuring that the home government in London received ships for the war effort. For this service, he was named a knight of the British Empire. After the war, Sir John moved to the finance portfolio in the Monroe Government, a position he retained until his retirement in 1928.
Sir John Chalker Crosbie died in 1932 at the age of 56.
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Chester E. Dawe was born in Bay Roberts in 1904, the son of Captain William and Eliza Dawe. Chester was educated at Bay Roberts Academy, Bishop Field College and Butler’s Business School.
Chester joined the family firm, William Dawe and Sons Limited, and worked mainly in their White Bay operation which supplied pit-props for the mines of England in exchange for coal for the Newfoundland Railway. In 1929, Mr. Dawe was named manager of the newly opened branch in St. John’s.
In 1945, Chester established his own business, Chester Dawe Limited, a building materials, hardware and supply company. Subsidiary companies participated in lumber production in northern Newfoundland, large land development, housing projects and construction of commercial buildings.
Chester Dawe has been a creative force in the business life of Newfoundland for over seventy years.
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Born in St. John's, Newfoundland on April 2, 1939, Basil Dobbin has played a pivotal role in construction and real estate development in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In 1966, Mr. Dobbin graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering from St. Mary's University and Dalhousie University (Formerly Nova Scotia Technical College), both in Halifax. He later went on to form construction companies such as Viking Construction, Olympic Construction and Pyramid Construction which have played key roles in highway development as well as the Janeway Hospital, Delta Hotel, Mile One Stadium, and the Upper Salmon Hydro Development Project.
In 1980, Mr. Dobbin launched Cabot Development Corporation Limited, purchasing 130 houses in the Brazil Square area to facilitate the construction of the Delta Hotel & Conference Centre (Formerly Radisson Hotel) and the Cabot Place Office Buildings. Cabot designed, constructed owned and operated these facilities. The company is the main proponent of the Cabot Square Power Centre, which began development 1995 with the construction of several ‘big box” stores in the Stavanger Drive area of St. John’s, and is currently developing the 700 lot Clovelly Trails Housing development, and constructed, owns and operates the Clovelly Golf Course, a 36-hole public and private facility in St. John's.
Mr. Dobbin is a past member of the Board of Directors of Marystown Shipyards Limited and the Newfoundland Liquor Corporation, and the Board of Regents of Memorial University of Newfoundland. He has been actively involved in charity fundraising activities, serving as Chairman for the construction of the new announced Sports Complex, and supporting groups such as the YM/YWCA and Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. He is also Chairman of Committee for industrial benefits to the City of St. John’s, and Co-chaired the John Crosbie campaign for Leader of the PC Party in the 1980s.
Mr. Dobbin is married to the former Elizabeth Ann Giovanninni, and has four daughters.
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Born in 1935, the third of 11 Children, Craig Dobbin’s unique entrepreneurial spirit and vision have led him where few were willing to travel. Where others see adversity, he sees opportunity.
Mr. Dobbin’s CHC Helicopter Corporation has grown into a leading provider of helicopter transportation services to the oil and gas industry, with a fleet of 312 aircraft operating in 21 countries, and with approximately 2,500 employees world-wide. With helicopters operating an all seven continents, CHC is also a world leader in Search and Rescue, Repair and Overhaul, humanitarian relief work, onshore helicopter services and lightweight aerospace component manufacturing.
In addition to serving as Chairman and CEO OCHC, Mr. Dobbin also servers in various other capacities in business and the community – he is the Honorary Consul of Ireland for Newfoundland and Labrador, and supports a number of organizations including the St. Patrick’s Mercy Home Foundation; the Newfoundland Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation; and the School Children’s Food Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Craig Dobbin passed away on October 7, 2006 at the age of 72.
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Gerald Stanley Doyle was born on September 26, 1892, in King’s Cove, Bonavista Bay, to Captain Thomas and Margaret Doyle. At 10 years of age, Gerald moved to St. John's with his family, finished grade 8 at St. Patrick's Hall School and apprenticed as a druggist at Wadden's Drug Store on Water Street.
In 1917, Gerald traveled to the seal hunt on the S.S. Njord where he was listed as the ship's doctor. He also traveled the coast of the province distributing patent medicines, and in 1919, he acquired his first agency, the Dr. Chase Medicine Co. The Company initially operated from a 3rd floor walk-up room on Water Street, but Gerald also toured the Caribbean selling these products. In 1929, Gerald incorporated his business activities under the name of Gerald S. Doyle Limited.
The Company developed its own distribution organization throughout the province for a wide range of food, drugs and household products and also manufactured and bottled cod-liver oil. He used his own boat, the Miss Newfoundland and later the Miss Newfoundland II, to travel the coast and to promote his products. In the 1920's and 1930's, he introduced modern merchandising methods to Newfoundland including point of sale display materials and minimum credit terms. By the mid 1950's, Gerald S. Doyle Limited was distributing products for over 30 manufacturers and was serving 3,000 retailers throughout the province. Gerald also sponsored the Gerald S. Doyle News Bulletin, a radio show provided to the people of Newfoundland through VONF and CBC consisting of a news broadcast, public service announcements, shipping schedules, weather reports and personal messages.
Gerald Stanley Doyle died on July 12, 1956.
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Roland Clement Goodyear was born on December 15, 1882, at Ladle Cove, Newfoundland, the son of Josiah Goodyear and Louisa Highmore Wellon. He was the eldest of seven children.
In 1900, at the age of 18, Roland began his career in the lumbering business as an apprentice for the Lewis Miller Company at Norris Arm and Millertown. In 1902, he acquired his own contracts for cutting and hauling wood at Red Indian Lake to supply the sawmill at Millertown. In 1910, together with his father and brothers Joe and Stan, Roland established a diversified business that involved logging contracts, freight handling and the operation of a taxi service and the town hearse. In 1923, the business was incorporated as J. Goodyear & Sons and expanded into general contracting and road construction. In the late 1930's, Roland also became involved with the Island Timber Company, and throughout the 40's, 50's and 60's, J.Goodyear & Sons continued to construct roads throughout the Island.
In 1958, at the age of 76, Roland formed a new company, Central Enterprises, to consolidate and operate his lumbering, fishing and gravel pit interests. The company still exists with Roland's grandson, Ted Goodyear, as its president.
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Alfred Harmsworth was born in Ireland in 1865, the son of an English barrister.
Educated in London, Alfred developed an interest in journalism when he began editing the school magazine. On leaving school, he worked for different magazines and then started Answers to Correspondents with his brother, Harold, in 1888.
In 1894 they obtained their first newspaper, the Evening News. Just two years later, on 4 May 1896, Alfred launched The Daily Mail, since when it has been the flagship of the Daily Mail and General Trust. The paper was designed to have a wide appeal and soon became unrivalled in its field. It spearheaded Alfred’s revolutionary approach to newspapers, earning him the reputation as ‘The Father of Modern Journalism’.
Many of the British major national titles were started or acquired by Alfred, including, the Daily Mirror which started life as a newspaper for women in 1903 and stayed in the Group until 1947 when it was sold. In the same year the Weekly Dispatch was acquired and this later became the long-lived Sunday Dispatch. 1904 saw the first edition of the Overseas Mail, which in 1905 became the Continental Daily Mail. This was also the year when the Observer joined the group. In 1908 The Times was added to the portfolio and remained with Associated Newspapers until the death of Lord Northcliffe in 1922 when it was sold to John Jacob Astor.
In 1905 Alfred was made Viscount Northcliffe, the youngest ever created.
The Harmsworth connection with Newfoundland started the same year when Lord Northcliffe and Lord Rothermere investigated the possibility of building a paper mill there to provide a regular supply of paper for their newspapers in Britain. In 1907 they established the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company at Grand Falls.
Lord Northcliffe used his newspapers to promote inventions such as the telephone, electric light, photography, motor cars, power boats and aircraft. He ran competitions in the Daily Mail, including £1000 for the first flight across the Channel in 1906, which was won by Louis Bleriot and a £10,000 prize for the first successful flight from Manchester to London.
Before the outbreak of the 1st World War Northcliffe had warned of a pending war with Germany. During the early stages of the conflict he created controversy by advocating conscription and criticising Lord Kitchener. In 1915 he published an attack on the Secretary of State for War for ordering the wrong kind of shell. Overnight the circulation of the Daily Mail plummeted as this was considered treacherous, and he remarked, “It is better to lose circulation than the war.” In fact his actions were vindicated and he was proved correct.
As a result, in 1917 he was appointed by the new Prime Minister, Lloyd George, to head a mission to the United States to persuade them to join the war against the Germans.
The ill health that had dogged Lord Northcliffe for some years caught up with him and he died in August 1922.
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Harold Harmsworth, the son of an English barrister was born in 1868. Harold worked with his elder brother, Alfred, to publish Answers to Correspondents. He and Alfred purchased the Evening News in 1894 before founding the Daily Mail in 1896. It has been claimed that the partnership worked well because whilst Alfred had good journalistic skills, Harold was an impressive accountant.
Harold became the 1st Viscount Rothermere of Hemsted in 1919.
During the first World War Lord Rothermere loyally supported the British government and in 1917 when Prime Minister Lloyd George established an airforce as a separate entity from the army and navy, he was made the first Secretary of State for Air with the specific aim of creating the Royal Air Force. Lord Rothermere lost two of his three sons, Vyvyan and Vere, in the War.
Although he resigned as Minister for Air after the War, he continued to support the RAF and in 1935 he paid for the development of the Bristol 142 which flew for the first time in 1935. Originally designed as a civil transport plane, it was converted into a bomber and renamed the Blenheim Bomber, the only light bomber in the RAF at the outset of the 2nd World War.
After the death of his brother Lord Northcliffe in 1922, he took full control of the Daily Mail, as well as the Daily Mirror. He also ran the Evening News, the Sunday Pictorial and the Sunday Dispatch. His newspapers continued to increase their circulation: by 1926 Daily Mail circulation sales had reached 2,000,000.
Lord Rothermere died in November 1940 and was succeeded by his son, Esmond who in 1952 became the first Chancellor of Memorial University of Newfoundland, establishing both the Rothermere scholarships and Rothermere House as the first on-campus student residence.
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Hubert Harnett was born in 1932 in the small community of High Beach on the Burin Peninsula and moved to St. John’s at an early age. A summer position with John R. Parson’s and Company piqued his interest in the accounting profession where he earned a CA designation. Hubert and family relocated to Corner Brook where he worked with Hann Brother’s Limited as comptroller. He later became comptroller for Corner Brook Garage.
This experience encouraged his already keen entrepreneurial spirit. While honing his business skills, Mr. Harnett became involved in various business ventures and in 1970 he co-founded Harnett Kean & Company, Chartered Accountants. Hubert diversified his business interests to include the first One Hour Martinizing, Trans Island Equipment Ltd., Broadway Drugs Ltd., Westport Inn, Mamateek Motor Inn, the CIBC Building in Corner Brook, West Coast Bakery and Avalon Bakery.
Harnett was one of the founders of ResourceCan Ltd and became President and CEO for twelve years. He led the company investment strategy and in 1987 took the company public with a listing on the TSE. During his career with ResourceCan, Hubert continued his entrepreneurial activities opening the first eat-in Pizza Delight restaurant in St. John’s.
An exceptional business leader, active community partner and opportunity seeker; Mr. Harnett retired in the mid-1990s. Throughout his career, Mr. Harnett was an active member of several boards, including the R.C. School Board, Newfoundland and Labrador Development Corporation, ACOA and APEC. Committed to community service Harnett was president of the Chamber of Commerce and Kinsmen Club, a Corner Brook City Councillor and President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities for two terms. He also served on the Royal Commission on Municipal Government for Newfoundland.
His vision and values live on today in his children as he continues to be active in their business pursuits.
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Alexander John Harvey was born in Bermuda in June 1849. After completing his formal education in the United States, Alexander moved to Halifax to work for his father's business, George C. Harvey and Company. In 1865, Alec Harvey moved to St. John's where he established an import/export business, Alex J. Harvey & Company, incorporating it in 1914 as A. Harvey & Company Limited.
In 1901, A. Harvey & Company Limited ventured into the seal fishery sending its ship, the S.S. Virginia Lake, to the front. However, Alexander’s business ventures were not limited to shipping. In 1891, having obtained a lease from the government to mine slate in Smith Sound, Trinity Bay, The Newfoundland Slate Company was formed which for seven years operated the slate quarry and exported their product. Another business venture involved the distribution of coal for domestic, factory, institutional and shipping use. For more than a century, Harvey’s was one of Newfoundland's largest distributors of coal moving thousands of tons annually. Alec Harvey's other business interests included a bakery which produced hard tack, 3X and Tip Top soda crackers.
In 1990, A. Harvey & Company Limited celebrated its 125th anniversary. From modest beginnings, the company has grown to become one of the largest privately held and diversified companies in the province. The company has interests in shipping, petroleum products’ sales and service, real estate, road transportation, marine terminals, bulk salt packaging and distribution, offshore oil support services, customs brokerage and forwarding, tidewater multi-purpose freezer warehousing, recycling systems and through a subsidiary, Browning Harvey Limited, a Pepsi-Cola franchise.
Alexander John Harvey died in September 1928.
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The founder of Newfoundland's first daily newspaper, William James Herder was born at Old Perlican, Trinity Bay in 1849. At age 14, Mr. Herder began an apprenticeship with the weekly newspaper, the Courier, which he purchased some 16 years later. The first Evening Telegram was published from the Courier's plant on April 3, 1879 with a total circulation was less than 500 copies. Herder overcame fierce competition and challenges including the loss of the plant in the Great Fire of 1892 to establish the Evening Telegram as a force in Newfoundland publishing. An avid fisherman, Mr. Herder was also keenly interested in all other sports. All seven of his sons were prominent hockey platers, so it should come as no surprise that in 1935 the Evening Telegram Limited donated the Herder Memorial Trophy, the prized cup of senior hockey in this province. W. J. Herder died in St. John's on May 28, 1922, having spent sixty years in the newspaper business.
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Albert Edgar Hickman was born in Grand Bank in 1874. He completed his education in Mount Allison, New Brunswick.
Upon graduating, Albert worked with a fish exporting company based in Halifax. In 1905, he became a partner and started a branch of this fish exporting business in St. John’s. In 1914, he became sole owner of A. E. Hickman Company Limited. In the 1920’s, the company expanded its business into marine products, becoming a major supplier for marine supplies and marine engines. Albert again expanded his business horizons in 1919, opening the Dominion Atlantic Insurance Co. Ltd. In 1923, he obtained the agency for Ford Motor, Hudson and Essex cars, becoming the largest car distributor in Newfoundland. During this period, Albert also became a steamship agent for Munson Steamship Co, started a cement and lumber company and in 1934, opened a brewery.
Albert was very much a partner in business with other Newfoundland business leaders, most especially C. C. Pratt and W. R. Goobie. The three acquired and operated Steers Ltd. and the Woods Candy Factory, now known as Purity Factory.
Albert Edgar Hickman died in 1943.
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.jpg "Albert Hickman") |
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Albert E. P. Hickman is the chairman of Hickman Group of Companies which includes Hickman Motors, Hickman Leasing, Hickman Saturn SAAB, Budget Rent-A-Car, and Body Works. Mr. Hickman’s directorships include Buchans River Limited, Environmental Control Corporation, and Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corporation.
Mr. Hickman recently retired from the National Board of Directors of CIBC. He has served on the Boards of FPI as Lead Director, Aliant Inc., and served on many national committees and advisory boards associated with the automotive industry. He also has a distinguished record of service with many charitable organizations. In 2002, Carl Gustaf, King of Sweden, declared Albert Hickman to the Knight of the Royal Polar Star Order of the First Class for his service as Honourary Consul for Sweden. In 2003, Mr. Hickman received the Award of the Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee for “Distinguished Community Service”. Albert is married to Karen (nee Hibbs), and has 3 children.
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A former banker and teacher, Raymond F. Hopkins was instrumental in the growth of the Credit Union movement in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Originally from Bishop’s Falls, Mr. Hopkins began his working life in 1959 as a teacher. In 1961, he joined the staff of a Canadian chartered bank and occupied several positions, up to and including the branch manager level.
In 1973, he was appointed General Manager of the Newfoundland Teachers’ Association Credit Society Ltd. Under his leadership, the organization has seen substantial growth – evolving from an asset base of $1.5 million into the Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union (NLCU) with 18,500 members, 12 branch locations and almost a quarter of a billion dollars in assets.
Under his leadership, NLCU has been named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 101 Companies and one of the Top 10 Best Companies to Work for in Atlantic Canada by Progress magazine. In 2004, Atlantic Business magazine named him one of the Top 50 CEOs in Atlantic Canada.
In addition to his work with various professional organizations related to credit unions across the province and the country, Mr. Hopkins is very involved with community activities. He is a former President of the Red Cross, Newfoundland and Labrador Division and served on the organization’s national Board of Directors. He is also a regular blood donor, having given over 110 blood donations. In 2003, Mr. Hopkins received the Order of the Red Cross for his countless hours of volunteerism and dedication.
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Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Mr. Paul Johnson was educated at Mount Allison Academy and Mount Allison University in New Brunswick. In 1949, he entered the family business, Johnson Insurance Offices Limited. In 1953, he became Managing Director, and in 1955, President and Chief Executive Officer, buying all company shares.
Under his leadership, by 1995 the Johnson-Unifund Group operated in every province in Canada. He and his Leadership Team pioneered 67 innovations in the insurance industry and, through their vision, determination, and entrepreneurial spirit, led the company to become a leader in the Canadian insurance industry. By 2007, the Companies in the Corporate Group had achieved both annual billings and group assets of over one billion dollars each. In 1997, Mr. Johnson sold his shares of Johnson Insurance, while ensuring its continued independence and autonomy, with head-quarters to remain in Newfoundland.
During his business career, he served as Chairman of the St. John’s Heritage Foundation; the St. John’s Housing Authority; and the Newfoundland Salvation Army Advisory Board. He was a Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Development Corporation and has played a leading role in organizing financial campaigns for various institutions and organizations.
Quietly, and without fanfare, he has devoted his retirement, and proceeds from his business, to preserve and promote the history and culture of Newfoundland. In 1987, he had established the Johnson Family Foundation. The Foundation, sometimes with partner support, has since initiated over $50,000,000 in 20 projects which highlight important historic and heritage aspects of Newfoundland.
In 1993, Mr. Johnson received the Order of Canada and the following year he was presented with the degree of Doctor of Laws from Memorial University. In 1997, he was awarded the Freedom of the City from the City of St. John’s and in 2004 was one of the first recipients of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador.
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H.B. Clyde Lake is remembered for his vision and commitment to the fishing industry in Newfoundland. His legacy is also as a politician, and community leader.
Clyde Lakes’ primary business ventures focused on importing and exporting salt fish. In 1948, H. B. Lake Ltd. became Newfoundland’s largest salt fish exporting firm. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the company acquired a number of processing plants in Gaultis, Burego , Bonavista, Fortune and Englee. In 1984, the processing plants of the reorganized Lake Group of Companies were acquired by Fishery Products International.
Clyde Lake was a pioneer in introducing research and development to the fishing industry; his vision and commitment to create a vibrant and sustainable fishery industry for the province helped establish the Marine Lab in Logy Bay.
A dedicated politician, Clyde Lake was elected as a member of the House of Assembly for Burin in 1924, and served in the prominent role of Minister of Marine and Fisheries in the Cabinet of Sir Richard Squires in 1928 as a MHA for Burin West.
In the 1920’s, H.B. Clyde Lakes’ efforts in the community were recognized by the government when he was asked to Chair the Earthquake Relief Committee and later, as President of the Permanent Marine Disaster Fund following the Burin Tidal Wave Disaster and sinking of the Sealing Vessel Viking SS.
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Arthur and Harold Lundrigan are well respected for building much of the infrastructure that exists in Newfoundland & Labrador today.
From the small sawmill and lumber company started in the 1930’s to the establishment of W.J. Lundrigan Ltd., the Lundrigans started a number of companies, which opened the doors and created many opportunities to Newfoundlanders. These included work in manufacturing and distributing building materials and products, developing residential, commercial and industrial real estate, building local roads and highways and helping build hospitals, schools and training facilities throughout Newfoundland.
The Company invested in other business opportunities related to their core competencies. Arthur and Harold Lundrigan were also involved in the construction for start-up for the Bay d’Espoir Hydro Development, the Upper Churchill Hydro Power project, and Come-by-Chance oil refinery.
Both Harold and Arthur Lundrigans’ achievements have been recognized on a Provincial and National basis. Harold Lundrigan served as the first Chairman of the Economic Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, Chairman of the Royal Commission on Employment and Unemployment and served as a member of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council. Arthur Lundrigan served as a member of the Royal Commission on the Economic State and Prospects of Newfoundland and Labrador, appointed by Prime Minister Trudeau to the Export Trade Development Board, and appointed by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to the International Advisory Committee.
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William J. Lundrigan was born in Blaketown, Trinity Bay, in 1901. William left school at the age of 15 to become the family breadwinner.
After working with the mining company on Bell Island, William moved to Corner Brook. Just before World War II, he established a logging and lumbering operation near Stephenville Crossing and during the war, supplied lumber for the construction of the American air base at Stephenville and for Canadian bases at various locations. In 1947, the business was incorporated under the name W.J. Lundrigan Ltd., of which he became president.
Following Confederation, the company embarked upon more varied and larger ventures -- road building and construction of schools, hospitals and large commercial buildings such as the cement and gypsum board plants at Corner Brook. At the same time, the company was establishing building supply outlets in Corner Brook and elsewhere and ready-mix concrete plants in both Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The Corner Brook shopping mall was the first to be built in the province. In 1966, the parent company and its several subsidiaries were amalgamated as Lundrigans Ltd. with William as chairman and his son Arthur as president and chief executive officer. Before he retired in 1974,William saw the company expand its operations in Nova Scotia and become the largest ready-mix concrete producer in Atlantic Canada and undertake the major excavating project at the Churchill Falls Hydro-electric Project with the Foundation Company of Canada.
William James Lundrigan died in 1986.
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Born at Blackhead, Conception Bay in 1919, the son of Oscar and Elizabeth Moores, Alec D. Moores began a career in banking at age 17 with the Bank of Nova Scotia in Fogo. He later left the bank to pursue private business interests with Steers Limited in St. John's and Montreal, and returned to Newfoundland in 1947 to begin a career in the fishery, as Vice-President and General Manager of North Eastern Fish Industries Ltd. (NEFI). Mr. Moores was instrumental in helping diversify the Newfoundland fishing industry, initiating the first exports of squid, turbot and caplin. When NEFI ceased operations in 1968, Mr. Moores launched his own companies - Ocean Harvesters Limited, Moorfish, Harbour International Ltd. and Alec D. Moores Limited. Today, Moores-related companies do business with various foreign fishing fleets.
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Silas Wilmot Moores was born in Freshwater, Carbonear, on December 8, 1890. At the age of 14, Silas left school to work in his father’s business, W & J Moores, a fisheries supply and exporting business.
In 1941, Silas started his own fresh fish business, The Harbour Grace Fishing Company Limited. Although he continued to sit on the board of directors of the family firm, Silas left its day-to-day operation to his brothers in 1942 and established an independent business. He purchased a building owned by Munn and Co. in Harbour Grace and started North Eastern Fish Industries Ltd. Silas pioneered the processing of fresh-frozen fish in Conception Bay and later built fish plants at Old Perlican, Port de Grave and Ferryland. To facilitate the marketing of fish products in the United States, he established a subsidiary in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and used refrigeration ships to transport the frozen fish.
An avid sports fan and community leader, he helped build the Harbour Grace Stadium which was later named the S. W. Moores Memorial Stadium in his honour.
He died in July 1962.
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The Honourable John Joseph Murphy was born in St. John's on May 13, 1849, the son of Captain James Murphy and Alice (McDonald) Murphy of Catalina. He was educated at St. Bonaventure's College, St. John's.
In 1904, John sold his sawmill and shipbuilding plant at Gambo and moved to St. John's where he became involved in an industry that would form the focal point of his career, hydroelectric development. He went on to establish the Sidney Mines Electric Company and held a controlling interest in United Towns Electric. He also played an instrumental role in the development of Newfoundland's province-wide telephone service. In 1919, John Murphy acquired the Anglo American Telephone system in St. John's, later incorporated as the Avalon Telephone Company. In 1932, John established the Dominion Broadcasting Company and the radio station VONF. The station was later acquired by the Commission Government and became The Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland. In 1949, when Newfoundland joined Confederation with Canada, it became a part of the CBC.
John also spent time in the political arena. In 1908, he was elected M.H.A. for Harbour Main and was instrumental in linking smaller communities by telephone to a larger telegraph office. John served in the House of Assembly until 1913 when he was appointed to the Legislative Council where he served until the advent of Commission Government in 1934.
The Honourable John Joseph Murphy died on August 04, 1938, at the age of 89.
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Charles Patten served with the Royal Navy during World War II. While living in St. John’s he met Susan Harvey and they married in 1954. He was president of A. Harvey & Company Limited, Browing Harvey Limited, Harvey’s Oil and C.N. Patten & Company Limited. Despite his vast business interests and tremendous success, he was committed to giving back to the community and made many contributions to his hometown of Grand Bank.
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Susan Patten is chair of the Board of Directors of A. Harvey Group of Companies. She is highly respected among her coworkers and competitors and serves as an exemplary model for the business community. Her work ethic is paralleled only by her volunteer ethic where she continues to be a pillar of the volunteer sector. In 2004, Ms. Patten received The Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, the highest honour in the province. The following year she received The Order of Canada.
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Marie Penny took control of John Penny & Sons in 1949 and was known as “Queen of the Fishing Fleet” for her ability to manage such a fast growing industry. She was vibrant, energetic and highly respected within the town of Ramea. In 1957 she was selected to dine with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in Ottawa and later became the first female president of the Fisheries Council of Canada. She was also named an honorary princess of the Capilano Indian band.
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Born in Carbonear in 1932, the eldest of twelve children, the President and CEO of Penney Group learned to accept a leadership role early. Mr. Penney began a career in banking, moving into private business several years later. Over the years, Mr. Penney's business interests have grown into a number of companies which stretch from St. John's to Vancouver Island, covering everything from automobiles to marine transportation, heavy construction, concrete, ship repair, steel fabrication, real estate and fish processing. With holdings and business interests in five provinces across Canada, it should come as no surprise that today, the Penney Group is one of Newfoundland and Labrador's largest private commercial enterprises employing up to 3,000 people, with annual revenues in excess of $350 million.
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Henry Edwin Petite was born on May 9, 1875 at Mose Ambrose. He operated a general store and schooners involved in the Grand Banks fishery, a business he started around 1900.
Mr. Petite also operated three-masted schooners that sailed to Portugal and Italy with salt fish. He owned the 136-ton schooner Tobeatic, which was used in the coastal freight business. Mr. Petite was active in the community of Mose Ambrose, and was instrumental in getting the local church and school built.
In 1913, he married his second wife Ada ”Annie” Hill at the Anglican Cathedral in St. John’s. When Mr. Petite drowned in a boating accident in 1925, it was Annie Petite who stepped in to take over the Operation of the general store and schooners. According to the late Joey Smallwood, Mrs. Petite was the only woman in Newfoundland, and perhaps the world, to be operating and managing a bank fishery business.
She was extensively involved in the Anglican Church and helped establish the Anglican Church Women’s Organization (ACW) in Mose Ambrose. She also attended the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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Chesley Alwyn Pippy was born in St. John’s on November 9, 1894, the son of William and Jessie Pippy. He received his education at the Methodist College and St. Bon’s College in St. John’s.
At the age of 15, Ches was hired as a bookkeeper with the firm of John Anderson, a dry goods store on Water Street in St. John’s. In 1919, he entered business on his own obtaining the agency for Ganong’s chocolates. With the 1920’s and the development of Newfoundland’s first real road system, Ches gambled that the time was right for “the newfangled invention called a tractor” and convinced Caterpillar to ship three of their tractors to Newfoundland.
In 1925, Ches established Newfoundland Tractor and Equipment with the help of D. Grant Burnell and Joseph Cocker. The company was incorporated in 1927 and renamed Newfoundland Tractor and Equipment Company Limited. Ches also imported the first Caterpillar snowplough to the province. Mechanically minded, he learned the operating, maintenance and repair principles of Caterpillar products by dismantling and reassembling a tractor and using his knowledge to train others as heavy equipment operators and mechanics. With the declaration of war in 1939, these skilled workers secured excellent jobs constructing the American bases in Newfoundland. Aided by the major road construction projects of the 1950’s and 60’s, Newfoundland Tractor and Equipment Company Limited adopted an aggressive expansion policy and by 1960 had opened branches in Corner Brook, Grand Falls and Goose Bay and had moved into expanded facilities in St. John’s.
In addition to being president of Newfoundland Tractor and Equipment Company Limited, Ches was also president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Corporation, Newfoundland Cement Company, North Star Cement Company, Newfoundland Fibreply Limited, Newfoundland Hardwoods Limited and United Cotton Mills Limited.
Chesley Alwyn Pippy died February 8, 1971.
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.jpg "John Penney Powell") |
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John Penney Powell was born in Carbonear on March 8, 1866, the son of Joseph and Grace Powell.
John began work in 1890 on a survey crew of the Reid Newfoundland Railway. In 1990, he was appointed to oversee the construction of Newfoundland’s first hydroelectric power station at Petty Harbour. Under the auspices of the Reid family, he studied civil engineering at McGill University and upon graduation returned to Newfoundland to become the Chief Engineer of the Railway, a position he held until 1923. Between 1909 and 1915, John engineered all the branch railway lines under construction, including the Bonavista branch where he designed and constructed the now famous Trinity Loop. In the 1920's, John was also involved in the province's pulp and paper industry and played a role in the establishment of the paper mill at Comer Brook.
John was a founding director of United Towns Electric and the Public Service Electric Company which later amalgamated to form Newfoundland Light & Power Co. He was the principal shareholder of Saunders, Howell & Company, a leading player in the province's woodworking and construction industries from 1908 until his death in 1955. The resulting prosperity of the company and its consistent and stable employment nurtured the economic development of Carbonear and Conception Bay areas especially in the depths of the Great Depression.
John Penney Powell died in 1955.
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.jpg "Calvert Coates Pratt") |
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Calvert Coates Pratt was born on October 6, 1888 in Blackhead, Newfoundland, the son of the Reverend John and Fannie (Knight) Pratt. Calvert received his education at the Methodist Academy in Grand Bank.
In 1916, Calvert became director and secretary-treasurer of the newly formed A.E. Hickman Company where he became involved in shipbuilding and fishing business. In 1926, Calvert bought the assets of Steers Brothers, a firm involved in the island’s general trade for 50 years. He incorporated the Company under the name "Steers Limited" and assumed the position of president.
During the 1930's, Calvert expanded Steer's Limited primarily into a wholesale firm selling hardware, groceries and dry goods and established an agency department selling flour of the International Milling Co. of U.S.A., products of General Foods Inc of New York and goods of other agencies. Calvert also sold codfish on the international market, formed an insurance department and during the war organized a division called "Foreign Department" which specialized in sales to the U.S. Armed Forces and a “Marine Department” to build wood mine sweepers for the British Admiralty. After the war, Steers Limited separated its insurance and agency business into separate companies. In 1948, SteersInsurance Agencies was formed to take over the insurance line of business while Pratt Representatives (Nfld) and J.C. Hudson Limited were formed to operate the agency lines.
Calvert was made an officer of the British Empire in 1946 for his war efforts. In 1955, Calvert donated a gift of land and made a substantial financial contribution to the establishment of a home for the aged, the Agnes Pratt Home, named in memory of his wife.
Calvert Coates Pratt died in October 1963 at the age of 75 years.
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Perhaps best known for his role in the Newfoundland Railway, Sir Robert Gillespie Reid was involved in everything from the lumber, mining and electrical industries, to shipping.
He constructed a hydroelectric facility at Petty Harbour to provide electricity to St. John's and to power the street cars which ran along Water Street, Duckworth Street and Military Road.
He operated the colonial telegraph system and developed the original Newfoundland dockyard in St. John's to facilitate repairs for railway and shipping operations. Sir Robert also built the Newfoundland Railway Building, an imposing structure made with granite from his own quarries near the Gaff Topsails. The Reid Shipping Company was also the owner of the Alphabet Fleet, which brought regular mail service and passenger connections to coastal communities. Reid also distinguished himself as a philanthropist and was noted as being a generous benefactor to causes in Newfoundland.
Sir Robert Gillespie Reid died on June 3, 1908 at the age of 65 years.
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.jpg "Dr. Harry Duncan Roberts") |
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Dr. Harry Duncan Roberts was born November 21, 1908, in St. John's, the son of Job Henry and Effie Jane Roberts. Dr. Roberts received his formal education at the Methodist College in St. John's, Memorial University of Newfoundland and McGill University. In 1936, he graduated from Dalhousie University with a medical degree.
Dr. Roberts became involved in the organization of the medical profession soon after he set up practice. He was an active member of the Newfoundland Medical Association, serving as its honourary secretary 1939-1947 and as president in 1950.
While maintaining an active career in medicine, Dr. Roberts also became an entrepreneur opening the first modern motel in Newfoundland in 1956, the Kenmount Motel, and several years later the Battery Hotel. In partnership, Dr. Roberts began a pharmaceutical business in 1950 with the opening of Elizabeth Drugs Limited. The chain eventually grew to five stores and was followed by the creation of a wholesale drug distribution operation known as Pharmaceutical Supplies Limited (PSL) which went on to be listed as one of the 50 largest businesses in the Atlantic provinces in 1993.
Dr. Roberts has received many awards in recognition of his contribution to his profession, his business enterprises and his community including Canada's Centennial Medal in 1967 and the Queen's Jubilee Medal in 1978. In 1979, Dr. Roberts was made a member of the Order of Canada. In 1980, he received an honourary Doctorate of Laws degree from Memorial University.
Dr. Harry Duncan Roberts passed away on June 5, 2004, at the age of 95.
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.jpg "Hazen Algar Russell") |
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Hazen Algar Russell was born in Seal Cove, Grand Manan, New Brunswick, on March 8, 1892, the son of Peter and Alfaretta Russell.
Hazen Russell joined the Bank of Nova Scotia in 1910 working for several branches in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia until transferring to Newfoundland in 1916. While serving as manager of the bank in Catalina, Mr. Russell spent considerable time assisting Mr. William F. Coaker with the management of Coaker’s business, the Fishermen’s Union Trading Company Limited. In 1918, Hazen Russell left the bank and joined the Fishermen’s Union Trading Company Limited at Port Union. During his period of service, the company expanded to a department store with over thirty branch stores on the northeast coast of Newfoundland, artificial dryers for salt fish, a general carpenter shop, a seal processing plant, a small freezing operation for salmon and bait and a shipyard.
In 1927, Hazen joined Job Brothers and Company Limited in St. John’s as a director and was instrumental in refitting the Blue Peter as the world’s first fish factory vessel. During this period a number of companies were formed under Hazen’s direction including Northlantic Fisheries Limited in 1945. This company purchased the controlling interest in Job Brothers and Company Limited from the Job family. In 1946, Hazen formed Blue Peter Steamships Limited. In 1953, he resigned from Job Brothers and Company Limited to devote his full energies to Bonavista Cold Storage Limited, a company he had started in 1939. This company operated a small fish processing and freezing plant at Bonavista supplied by the inshore fishermen. Hazen expanded the Bonavista plant and later added plants at Grand Bank and Fermeuse. He acquired a fleet of twelve modern stern- ramp, deep-sea trawlers to supply these plants. In 1955, he formed Russell Fisheries Inc. in the United States to market all fish sales to the U.S.
Hazen A. Russell passed away on November 14, 1983, at the age of 91.
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.jpg "Cluny Sheppard") |
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Cluny Sheppard was born in 1946 in Stag Harbour, Fogo Island. He showed his entrepreneurial spirit as a young boy selling newspapers, and later as a door-to-door salesman. In 1962, he began working with Riffs Limited in Lewisporte, and ten years later was recruited by Barwood Holdings to manage their operation in Lewisporte, Notre Dame Agencies, which at the time was a small plumbing and heating business.
In 1975, Cluny purchased Notre Dame Agencies and under his leadership it has grown from a single operation in Lewisporte into a 14 location organization across central and western Newfoundland and Labrador. Notre Dame Agencies has been listed as one of the top 101 companies in Atlantic Canada and in 2003 was listed in the top 100 hardware retailers in Canada. Cluny is also president of Notre Dame Realty which owns and operates building and land properties. Cluny is married to Golda ( nee Head) and they have four daughters, and is a proud “poppy” to nine grandchildren.
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Following a 24-year career in the Royal Canadian Navy, Harry Steele made his entrance into the Newfoundland business community by becoming a major shareholder of Eastern Provincial Airways. He eventually acquired control as majority shareholder and orchestrated the sale of EPA to Canadian Pacific Airlines for a profit of $20 million – his first in a series of | |
