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Terrace Co-op operated in Terrace for many years,
until it was closed down end of June, 1998.

Original Co-op was called
Skeena River Co-Op Association Ltd.
Manager Frederick Charles "Fred" Bishop, ca 1921
 

 Early picture of the Terrace Co-op
on Kalum St.  Looking North
Photo from a Historical Info stand
 on Terrace Grand Trunk Pathway
click to enlarge in new window

Co-op Department Store Address = 4617 Greig Ave.

Only thing left in Terrace,
now belongs to the Vanderhoof Co-op.
The Fuel Key Lock Station was sold to them.

In it's full blown operation, the Co-op operated
on Greig Ave, between Greig and the Railway.
From Kalum St west for 1 block, to Emerson St..
Building Supplies left this property,
and moved to the south side, on Molitor st..

Bulk Fuel Sales were originally on the highway,
where part of the millennium trail is now, across from Dennys.
They later moved from that area,
to next to the Building Supplies building.
on Keith Ave. and Molitor Corner, where it is now,
at 101-4925 Keith Ave.

View of the Business buildings on the right of the tracks
from the sande Overpass, ca 1982

The Co-op on Greig Ave. (at various times),
contained Automobile Fuel Sales, Hardware, Fishing supplies,
Electronics, Grocery, Small Motor Repair, 
Men's and Women's clothing, Fabric, Sewing Machines and Supplies,
Lottery Store, Post Office, Embroidery shop, Barber shop,
Major appliances, Home Furnishings,
Meat Department, Bakery, Cafeteria, Administration Offices,
as well as Keenleyside Insurance Agency.

Across the large parking lot you would find the
Garden Centre, and at one time the Building Supply Department.
the Garden Centre moved into the Building Supply area,
after they moved to Molitor.
When I moved here in 1969, the Garden Center was in
a small, old building on the back corner of the lot,
Next to Kalum St. (next to George Little House today 2013).
The rear of the building was on a railroad siding.
Original use of the building was unloading goods from the railcar,
to this building, then underground, via a tunnel,
and conveyor system, to the grocery store.
The tunnel is probably still there, under the pavement,
with the entrances closed off at each end.
It had a long roller conveyor belt system in it.

After research Clair Leon Morris Giggey, I found out him and his dad
Charles Albert Giggey, built the first frame building in Terrace,
on the west side of Kalum,
in the lane, between the GTP right of way and the
south boundary of the Townsite.
Exactly where this building stood.
I knew it was an old building, but didn't know this.

My story here is the
History of the Terrace Co-op Farm & Garden Centre.

Many Stories have been recorded on the Board of Directors,
and the Main Building,
but not much on the Garden Centre.

My wife, Maureen Gent worked there.
When she first moved here, in 1974,
she worked in the old building,
hired by the new manager at that time, Jack Atkinson.
Jack remained Manager until they closed.
In the old building they had all sorts of feed,
for all the animal pets known to man.
They also sold budgies and birds at one time.
Only competitor was Woolworths at that time.
Along with the the birds, hundreds of fish.
Fish shipments would come in at all hours of the day.
This old building had an old gas heater, that was
terrible at best.  It would quit when it was needed,
and many times the place would freeze up,
causing loss of fish etc.
Moving into the "new" Building Supply Building
wasn't much better.  there was 2 heaters,
but they never worked that well either half the time.
They never even had a bathroom for the employees.
They had to use the Gas Station Public Facilities!

They used the out buildings for Feed, Peat Moss,
Manures, and Hay Bales.
these buildings were meant for plywood, and wood.
Dirt floors, and terrible sliding doors.
They constantly had a mouse problem.
And with the mice came the cats.
We ended up with 2 of them at our place.
I think the feral cats are still a problem there.

Our family were big Co-op supporters.
both of our sons worked there, as well as my wife.
I know part of the problem from listening to my wife,
was Federated Co-op head office.
They would print sales flyers, and even if it cost
more for them to truck the goods here than the sale price,
it didn't seem to matter.  That was the price!
Instead of having zone flyers, based partially on trucking costs,
they were in a lose, lose, situation.
Anyway can't get back spilt milk!
It is gone, everyone points fingers at the other guy.

I know I miss the place.  Like the old Gordon and Anderson store,
they had everything, all in one place.

The Garden Centre hired lots of Students over the years.
In the spring when truckloads of trees and plants came in,
lots of hands were needed.
They were never really given the facilities required,
like proper water facilities, shading from the sun, wind, etc.
Can't have a Garden Center without plants,
but no money was given to support the plants?

My wife was known as the "Caterpillar lady".
Anybody that wanted to know how to kill Tent Caterpillars,
would head in there.
Now all the chemicals are banned.
Hang on to your hats folks, this year (2013)
will be a dandy, mild winter, and I have already seen one in early April.
In an old Newspaper article, there used to be a big beetle here
that ate the caterpillars.  But I bet they killed them first.
Bring back the "Big" Beetles!
You can tell folks not to spray in the wind,
or in daylight where bees are out, but they do it anyway.
then we end up with no bees, no plants!
read the label and follow the directions.
they actually know what they are talking about !!!

Jack Atkinson

Jack had a garden show on the radio once a week on Friday.
He was nicknamed the "Northwest Gardener"
He retired after 26 years with the Co-op here.
Total of 41 years with the Co-op, coming from SK.

I think they even had a small article in the weekly paper.
Folks would buy a tree or plant somewhere else,
then come to the Co-op and ask how to plant it!

One of the original managers was a Mrs. Helen Watson.
she worked at the Co-op for 9 years.
Helen Mary Watson, nee Coldwell
b- Sept 16, 1913 in Dhanbaid India
d-
she married Philip Lyth Watson, Postmaster in Terrace.
See Terrace Post Office page
They came to Canada in 1946
I think Mrs. Watson is deceased now, as well as Jack.
Jack Atkinson started in Sept. 1974.
My wife Maureen started the same time as Jack,
but only worked for a year, and then stopped to have our family.
She returned back ca Dec 1990.

Other workers at the Garden Centre, my wife remembers:

Janet Coburn
Natasha Candelora
Debbie Wabanga (Her dad was Bakery Manager)
Todd ? (sorry Todd can't remember your last name?)
Andrew Gent
Terry Gent
Marcel Koch
Marcel's friend Peter ? (last name unknown)
Chad Ptomely (sp?)
Andrew Tait (His dad Brad Tait was Co-op Grocery Manager)
 Cory Albright
 Cindy Blakeburn
Dee Chisholm
Carman LaFrance
Cindy Hychuck (Hrychuck?)
Kathy T.?
Darlene Hall
Mike Coburn
Dave F.?

If you worked at the Garden Centre let me know,
will be happy to add your name.

Aug 8, 2011 Terrace Council approved the demolition
of the old Co-op building.
The warehouses for the feed, were tore down many
years before, and sold for scrap.
The Old Garden Centre building still stands, (2013)
and was being used for Dog Trials,
and now a 2nd hand recycling Depot.

One of the First Board of Directors

Jean Marie Ives Lucien "John" Normandeau
b- Dec 26, 1901 at Giroux, RM of La Bourquie, MB
d- Dec 12, 1969 Sparks St., Terrace BC
Carpenter, Bridge Builder, Logger.
Terrace Co-op Member Number 2
One of the Original Founders / Directors of the Terrace Co-op Assn.
son of Joseph Wilfrid Normandeau and Emma Ragotte, both b- Quebec

married Marie "Anna" Gertrude Desjardins
b- Mar 29, 1912 Aubigny, RM of Morris,  MB
d- Apr 24, 1980 Mills Memorial Hospital, Terrace BC
daughter of John Desjardins and Odelide Pelland

They had 12 children

Sept 1945
17 people formed Terrace & District Credit Union
Mrs. Mabel Essy Peduzzi, nee Mueller
John M. Normandeau (see above)
Mrs. Prystay
Fred Prystay
Mrs. Emma Campbell (Stuart's wife)
Stuart Campbell
John Haaland
Mrs. George Turner
Joseph "Joe" Rolfsen (see below)
Ralph Pearson
Mrs. F. Turner
Charles Kofoed (see below)
Mrs. Agnes Kofoed (see below)
Victor Peter "Vic" Peduzzi (see below)
Miss Pearson
Mrs. Ladvina Rolfsen (see below)
Mrs. Anna Matthews

1945 Board of Directors/ Founders of
Terrace Cooperative Association

Floyd Forester Frank
Member no 1
b- 1904 in Port Essington BC
d- 2002, age 96
Floyd Frank Heritage House- 4459 Lakelse Ave
He came to Terrace in May 1908
1945 ran under the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
in Skeena Riding in BC election,
edged out by E. T. Kenney
Frank Park/Trail named after this Terrace Pioneer
He wrote the book "My Valley's Yesteryears"

John M. Normandeau (Bio see above)
Member no 2

Ivan Rudolph Frank
b- Jan 21, 1903, Port Essington BC
d- Apr 20, 1966 in Terrace BC, age 63
son of Henry Lewis Frank b- Deerborn, USA
and Mattie Christina Orwig (Arvik?) b- Norway
married Mary Janet Vera McInnes

Victor Peter "Vic" Peduzzi
b- ca 1899
d- Apr 5, 1987, Nanaimo BC, age 88
married Mabel Essy Mueller

Charles Mathias Howard Kofoed
b- Dec 15, 1898, Bornholm, Denmark
d- Sept 8, 1973 Mills Memorial Hospital, Terrace, age 74
son of Carl (Karl) Emilius Kofoed and Johanne Martinsen
married Marie Agnes Helen Desjardins in 1929
she died in 1970
he remarried Marie Cecilia McConnell, nee Desjardins, in 1971
(marriage Info above corrected by his Granddaughter, Patsy Duke, Sept 6, 2015)
 

Stuart Campbell
I believe this was Stuart Fleming Campbell
b- Dec 16, 1884, Carmunnoch, Perth Co. ON ,
age 39, a widow when he married Emma in 1924
d- Mar 24, 1968 in White Rock BC, age 83

married 1st- Mary Sturrock Peters, Feb 7, 1918 in Fraser Lake BC

re-married Emma Catherine Loveless, Sept 25, 1924, Union Parsonage, Queen St., Smithers
age 21 when she married
b- Ponoka AB
Stuart owned the Riverside Motel in Terrace
When he married Emma he was a tradesman in Smithers
son of George Campbell, b- ON, and Emeline Aller, b- in Quebec

Mrs. Emma Campbell (Stuart's wife)

Frederick Samuel "Fred" Thomas
b-
d-
married Luella Delia MarieLlewellyn July 17, 1935 in Terrace

Mrs. Frederick "Fred" Thomas (Luella Delia Marie Llewellyn)

George Giglberger
b- ca 1907
d- Sept 4, 1987, Smithers BC, age 80
married Evelyn May Warren

Mrs. J. Lips
Hermenia Maria DeRoo
b- May 2, 1885, Wyngene, Belgium
d- Jan 24, 1971, Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster BC, age 85
she married Joannes "Joseph" Baptista Lips
daughter of Frederic DeRoo and Hermenia Maria Van Ooteghem

Michael Solonecki
b- Aug 8, 1902, Korsilice, Galicia, Poland
d- Apr 9, 1982, Skeenaview Lodge, Terrace BC
son of Philip Solonecki, b- Poland
married to Molly Peznik
Mrs. Molly Solonecki

Harry White Houlden
b- Nov 28, 1886 Reston England
d- May 15, 1963 in Mills Memorial Hospital, Terrace BC, age 76
son of ? Houlden and Martha Glentworth
married Mabel Tilling

Byron Leroy Pearson
b- Jan 22, 1882 Fulford, Quebec
d- May 7, 1949, Rural, Terrace, age 67
married Hulda Anne Burger
son of John Pearson, and Elizabeth Righter

Joseph "Joe" Rolfsen
b- Dec 9, 1901 Steinfield, Germany
d- Aug 22, 1969 in Mills Memorial Hospital, Terrace BC, age 68
son of Henry Rolfsen, and Maria ?
married Ladvina Reinert

1966
12 Board of Directors of Terrace Co-Operative Assoc.

Eleanor Muehle
It's her donation of old newspapers to the Library
 that allows for great local research.

Albert Richardson
Watson Bailey
Mrs. F. Doll
Louis "Lou" Gair
Mrs. R. Wold
Howard Harper
Charles Place
Alec Houlden
Ivan Benoit
Floyd Frank (see above)

Frederick Charles "Fred" Bishop
b- Apr 1, 1889 in Surrey, England
d- Aug 22, 1955 in Sidney, BC, age 66
He operated the Terrace Picture House in Mar 1923
He also owned THE Store which sold books.
He was Churchwarden of the Anglican Church in Jan 1923
Oct 1923 he was installing an electric light plant.
Immigrated in 1906
Lived in Winnipeg MB in 1916
shown in Terrace 1921 as a Mechanic
Grocery merchant up to Aug 1955

Fred married Elizabeth Dine
b- Apr 8, 1887, age 34 in 1921 in Eastbourne, Surrey, England
d- Nov 16, 1953
buried in Royal Oak Cemetery, Sidney, BC
Immigrated in 1908
daughter of Charles Dine and Elizabeth Button

daughter- Mabel Doreen Bishop
b- Jan 22, 1915 in Winnipeg, MB
d- Mar 11, 1993, Eugene, Lane,  Oregon, USA
She married Edward "Ed" Harrison Cramer, Aug 26, 1933 in Terrace
son of Martin Cramer and Alma Christine Lundgren, (see Cramer St page)
They lived in Eugene Oregon in 1955

Father- Frederick Charles Bishop
Mother- Elizabeth Jane Coney
both born in Surrey, England

brother- Kenneth J. Bishop
worked for H and B Film Co.
motion picture producers and distributors
headquartered in LA, CA
Kenneth was the production manager for the working units.
and general sales manager for the distribution department.
He arrived in LA 18 months before Mar 1923.
He lived in Hollywood with his wife and 2 year old child.

Disclaimer

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