On June 14, the residents of Mayerthorpe celebrated the 75th anniversary of their local Co-op grocery store, which was officially incorporated in 1939.
However, because the communities of Barrhead and Mayerthorpe are part of he recently-formed Pembina West Co-op, they were joined by hundreds of Barrhead residents celebrating the 69th anniversary of the Barrhead Co-op.
In all, an estimated 420 people packed the Diamond Centre in Mayerthorpe that evening for a dinner and an evening of entertainment featuring comedians Graham Neil, Ken Valgardson and Jebb Fink.
Linda Majer, vice president of the Pembina West Co-op, said most of the people gathered at the celebration have done so because they had a history with a co-operative association. “Maybe not this Co-op, but a Co-op,” she added.
Her own experience with the Mayerthorpe Co-op dates back to 1970, when her father worked as a Co-op insurance agent.
“Dad’s little office was in the far back corner next to the administration office and I got to know the Co-op family pretty well,” she said.
Majer said she was happy to join the board of the directors to continue her relationship with the Co-op, though she never expected to be there 16 years later.
“But here I am, still part of the Co-op family,” she said.
Sandra Hagman, who sits on the board of directors, delivered the history of the Mayerthorpe Co-op for the crowd.
She said the Mayerthorpe Co-op originated with a group of people who were buying twine and salt off the railroad and were willing to work together to do more.
They signed a memorandum of association on July 29, 1939 and they functioned mainly as a buying group over the next two years.
“Many families of the founding members are still in the area shopping in the local Mayerthorpe store,” she said. “These are the grandchildren and great-grandchildren that still believe in the Co-op concept.”
The first store was opened Oct. 11, 1941, located on the northeast end of Mayerthorpe’s Main Street.
It was decided in 1959 to open a new location, followed by the addition of a new lumber and supply store in 1963.
By the 1970s, their sales volume grew to over $2 million, and they had over 2,000 members by 1981, said Hagman.
A newly-renovated store with an expansion of 1,500 square feet was opened in 1993, followed by the opening of a new food store in 2001.
“Over the years, we have seen many changes. We’ve built, added on, closed, sold part of our operations, rebuilt and demolished the old. But our members have always remained loyal and contributed by shopping locally,” she said.
The Barrhead and Mayerthorpe Co-ops officially amalgamated in February of 2008 to form the Barrhead and Districts Co-op Ltd.
Effective June 1, the Co-op has undergone another name change to become the Pembina West Co-op.
“It all began 75 years ago. We’re celebrating the past, but we’re also looking forward to the future,” said Hagman.
Past president George Andrews then delivered a report on the history of the Barrhead Co-op, which was incorporated on April 12, 1944.
“Like a lot of other Co-ops ... and your own Mayerthorpe Co-op, it was formed by a group of people that were looking for ... a dependable supply for the goods and services they needed to acquire,” he said.
They established a board of directors in 1945 and opened a store located on the west side of Barrhead’s Main Street on Jan. 21, 1946.
The store moved to a new site in 1949 and an agreement was signed with the Alberta Co-op Wholesale Association to sell fertilizer in 1959.
After the opening of various dry goods and meat departments, a new service centre opened south of the railroad tracks in 1968.
“The move south of the tracks was hotly debated. A lot of customers and members said, ‘You can’t move,’ but they did,” he said.
Another hot debate followed in 1976 when a new shopping centre was opened south of the tracks, said Andrews, noting that many people thought the board were nuts.
“However, it proved to be a wise move, and that particular site has developed and developed,” said Andrews.
Another shopping centre was opened in 1977 and a Westlock location was opened in 1979 selling groceries and hardware. However, it closed in the 1990s due to high interest rates and fierce competition, he indicated.
“From that time on, Barrhead seemed to pick up and started moving ahead again,” he said.
A new Barrhead Co-op Service Centre was opened in 1992 and the food store/cafe received a modernization in 1997.
Following the opening of a new home centre in 2001 and a gas bar upgrade in 2002, the Barrhead Co-op amalgamated with Mayerthorpe in 2008.
It was decided at the April annual general meeting to re-brand the organization as the Pembina West Co-op. “We’ve come a long ways,” said Andrews.
Cathy DeZaeyer, president of the Pembina West Co-op, said on behalf of the board that they were thrilled to see such a large crowd.
“We really do appreciate all the support all you members have given our Co-op,” she said.
Mayerthorpe mayor Kate Patrick also presented a plaque to general manager Allan Cote in honour of the anniversary.
