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Archive Record
Metadata
Item ID# |
UCO S4 |
Title |
United Co-operatives of Ontario |
Object Name |
Archival Series |
Dates of Creation |
1933-1991 |
Creator |
United Co-operatives of Ontario |
Description |
Series 3 of the United Co-operatives of Ontario fonds consists of records created by the United Co-operatives of Ontario between 1948 and 1985 related to Bruce County. This series includes advertising, correspondence records, and reference books. |
Admin/Biographical History |
The agricultural Co-operative movement in Ontario was established in 1914 as a marketing and purchasing society with the goal of providing farmers with fair prices. The organization, known as the United Farmers' Co-operative Co. Ltd., was farmer owned through direct membership. Each farmer "loaned" money to their local co-operative (as their membership fees) to finance their local operations. Ownership and control of the co-operative was exercised by the members at their annual meetings. In 1948 a major change took place. Some 120 local co-operatives in Ontario signed Affiliation agreements with the provincial body. Once known as the United Farmers' Co-operative Co. Ltd., it now became the United Co-operatives of Ontario. Collectively, local co-operatives owned and controlled the central provincial co-operative through delegate representation with voting rights to annual meetings. This affiliation enabled wholesale buying and marketing on a larger scale, and a greater ability to be competitive, with the benefits being felt at all levels. An excerpt from the Employee Benefits package of 1955 [A2012.013.044] summarizes: "The Farmers' Co-operative is a farmer-owned organization providing a business where fair and equitable trading may be carried on -- including the purchasing of feed and farm supplies, and the marketing of livestock, poultry products and grain. The sole purpose of this business is to serve farmers by quality, price and service." In Bruce County all of the Co-operatives (with the exception of Teeswater) began as buying clubs. The Grey-Bruce co-operatives began in th following years: Elmwood in 1940, Mildmay in 1942, Paisley in 1945, Port Elgin in 1928, Lucknow in 1936, Kincardine in 1945, Wiarton in 1942, and Teeswater in 1950. In 1948 when a lot of co-operatives became affiliated with the United Co-operatives of Ontario, Mildmay, Lucknow, and Teeswater remained independent, however, Mildmay joined in 1970. By the "1990s, there were 86 UCO branches as well as 42 independent co-ops". In 1991 the "returned the local [businesses] to their communities", however, many co-operatives were forced to merge in order to succeed independently. Teeswater (which had always been independent) took over Mildmay, Durham merged with North Wellington, Lucknow continued to operate independently, and Owen Sound, Wiarton, Chesley, Markdale, Port Elgin (Saugeen Valley), and Kincardine all joined together to become the Grey-Bruce District Co-operative after raising a large amount of money. In 1993 Kincardine and Port Elgin closed their stores. (Powers, James W., A Record of Achievement, 59 [AX2004.0902]) United Co-operatives of Ontario was purchased by American company Growmark (FS) in 1994 releasing its final 37 members. Sources: "Fonds F229 - United Co-operatives of Ontario Collection." University of Guelph Library Archival and Special Collections, University of Guelph, 2004, https://archives-catalogue.lib.uoguelph.ca/f229, Accessed 11 Oct. 2024. "Growmark History." Growmark Inc., 15 Jun. 2008, https://web.archive.org/web/20080615170006/http://www.growmark.com/gmksyst/history.htm, Accessed 11 Oct. 2024. MacPherson, Ian. "United Farmers of Ontario." The Canadian Encylcopedia, 4 Mar. 2015, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/united-farmers-of-ontario, Accessed 11 Oct. 2024. Powers, James W. "A Record of Achievement: Bruce County's Leadership in Farm Organizations." Guelph: Bruce County Federation of Agriculture and Gunbyfield Publishing, 1994. Print. Pages 55-59, BCM&CC #AX2004.0902. Wilson, Barry. "U.S. Company Buys Ontario Farm Co-Op | the Western Producer." The Western Producer, Glacier Farm Media, 23 Feb. 1995, www.producer.com/news/us-company-buys-ontario-farm-coop/, Accessed 11 Oct. 2024. |
Collection |
United Co-operatives of Ontario fonds |
Parent Object |
UCO fonds |
Level of Description |
Series |
Physical Description |
14 cm of textual records |
Places |
Bruce County Ontario Paisley Port Elgin |
Search Terms & Subjects |
Agricultural machinery & implements Agricultural organizations Agriculture Cooperatives Farmers |
Child Records |
A2004.019.007 A2004.019.008 A2004.019.009 A2004.019.010 A2012.013.039 A2012.013.040 A2012.013.041 A2012.013.042 A2012.013.043 A2012.013.044 A2012.013.045 A2012.013.059 |