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1960
– 1969
W.D. (Willard) Dernier
A time of great social change and upheaval, the 1960s
marked the end of one era - and the start of a new one - for MCS as both McEwen
and Grant announced their retirements in 1961. While it was true that McEwen had
not achieved all of his ambitious goals for the organization, his endless
efforts to create a unified network of Maritime co-ops laid the foundation for
MCS to become a major economic force in the region, and a leader in the
marketplace. McEwen would stay on with MCS as corporate secretary until the
early 1970s.
McEwen's replacement was W.D. (Willard) Dernier, former manager of the feed
department. He had received extensive training under McEwen before taking on the
position. Widely regarded as a builder and risk taker, Dernier brought with him
a more entrepreneurial approach to the management of MCS, one that would help
the organization capitalize on the growth it had enjoyed in the 1940s and 1950s.
The change in management was complemented by a change of office for MCS that
same year. A new 25,000 square-foot, three-story building was completed and
officially opened on Halifax Street on November 15, 1961 to serve as a permanent
home office for the organization. The following year saw more developments and
construction with the building of a feed plant in New Minas, as well as the
formation of the Atlantic Council of Co-operators. MCS was also restructured
into three distinct divisions: merchandising, retail services and finance.
Yet the most significant development of the decade came in 1964 - just three
years after McEwen's retirement - when ECS agreed to merge with MCS. Its assets
were transferred in January of 1965, and the Sydney wholesale operation was once
again a branch of MCS. For McEwen, it was a bittersweet development - not one he
looked upon as a victory, but rather as an all-around defeat. And yet, the move
meant that the Newfoundland co-ops, which had been buying co-op products from the
ECS warehouse because they lacked a central wholesaler, were also now dealing
with MCS. Finally, the pieces were falling in place for the united network
McEwen has worked so hard to create almost 30 years ago, this time as an
Atlantic Provinces-wide network.
Sydney's return to the organization, and the growing ties with Newfoundland
co-ops, led to a rash of new initiatives at MCS. Dernier and his assistant
general manager, L.G. (Lloyd) Horton, convinced the board to approve a feed
warehouse for Sydney, which opened in 1967. The following year marked the
reorganization of MCS into ten geographic zones in recognition of Newfoundland's
growing involvement with the organization. Other highlights from 1968 include
the opening of the first two direct charge co-ops in the region - in Dartmouth
and St. John's - as well as the opening of an 80,000 square-foot warehouse in
Moncton. And, in 1969, a new feed mill opened in New Minas, a move made
necessary by a fire that destroyed the original mill in 1967. All of these
developments demonstrated that MCS was gaining considerable ground in the
marketplace and, at long last, becoming a highly integrated and efficient co-op
network. All that was needed was a new name to make clear just how far the
organization had come since 1927.
Moncton office
building in 1969
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1960s
- 1961 - Dartmouth, N.S., is incorporated as a city.
- 1962 - The Iron Ore Company of Canada mine at Labrador City begins production.
- 1963 - Lester B. Pearson becomes prime minister.
- 1963 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy is assassinated.
- 1964 - The Beatles make their debut on the Ed Sullivan program.
- 1965 - The musical Anne of Green Gables opens at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown and has run every summer since then.
- 1966 - The Men of the Deeps is formed as part of Cape Breton's contributions to Canada's Centennial, becoming North America's first coal miner singing choir.
- 1967 - Canada celebrates its centennial.
- 1968 - Pierre Elliott Trudeau becomes prime minister of Canada.
- 1969 - Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the moon.
- 1969 - Hundreds of thousands of young people turn the Woodstock festival into a virtual city for three days of peace, love and music.
- 1969 - Sesame Street debuts.
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