MHS Centennial Organization: North West Commercial Travellers’ Association of Canada

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Presidents | Sources

10 October 1882 - this was the date when a meeting was held at the old Grand Union Hotel in Winnipeg, and which comprised some of the most prominent wholesale jobbers and travellers of western Canada, who formed themselves into an Association called the North West Commercial Travellers’ Association of Canada, with the object of securing preferential rates and privileges from railway, steamboat, insurance, and telegraph companies, hotels etc. also for the interchange of valuable information of special interest to commercial men.

From the time of the above momentous occasion, this Association grew steadily both numerically and financially, so that by the year 1890 it had reached such a strong financial standing that it was able to inaugurate its first Mortuary Benefit system, and in addition, was able to reinsure its members against accidental death to the extent of $1,000 per member, with a small weekly indemnity covering disability up to 72 weeks.

One hundred and twenty two years later, the Association is still strong numerically and financially, providing many modern day benefits similar to its original program. In 2004, the Association negotiated discounts for airline tickets, rental cars, group rates for a variety of insurance programs from life to homeowners plans, long distance, toll-free, and cellular communication, hotels, gas and other car care services, clothing, financial and foreign exchange, as well as continuing its Mortuary Benefit program that pays out approximately $500,000 per year to families of deceased travellers.

An MHS Centennial Organization Award was presented to the North West Commercial Travellers Association by Jacqueline Friesen on 16 April 2004.

The North West Commercial Travellers Association ceased operations in early 2014.

Presidents

Period	President
1882-1884	Joseph Mulholland
1885-1886	Thomas Johnson (1852-1914)
1887-1888	Joseph Campbell
1889	W. M. Ronald
1890	M. R. O’Loughlin
1891	A. Strang
1892	L. C. Macintyre
1893	M. W. Rublee
1894	H. Bruce Gordon
1895	J. Y. Griffin
1896	A. S. Binns
1897	A. L. Johnson
1898	James Mundie
1899	Frederick William Drewry (1855-1927)
1900	W. Hargreaves
1901	George F. Bryan
1902	F. M. Morgan
1903	R. M. McGowan
1904	Francis Headley “Frank” Agnew (1863-1944)
1905	J. Horne
1906	D. J. Dyson
1907	J. E. McRobie
1908	G. Wilson
1909	J. A. McTaggart
1910	E. L. Thomas
1911	G. W. Barrett
1912	J. H. J. Murphy
1913	William Stitt (1858-1942)
1914	A. McAllister
1915	C. Holden
1916	J. M. Scott
1917	G. R. Bolton
1918-1919	O. H. Dingman
1919-1920	J. P. Minhinnick
1920-1921	James Albert Webber (1870-1954)
1921-1922	J. Snydal
1922-1923	J. E. Holland
1924	S. J. Godwin
1925	J. Stevens
1926	A. N. Doupe
1927	A. Mitchell
1928	W. H. Lewis
1929	P. H. McLaughlin
1930	J. A. Jack
1931	W. Pinn
1932	A. E. Smith
1933	C. Wallace
1934	C. Wilson
1935	R. H. Sweet
1936	N. McWilliams
1937	F. M. Horner
1938	W. C. Borlase
1939	A. Gamble
1940	J. Fleming
1941	Ross G. Manahan (c1888-1960)
1942	James Reid “Jack” Boutillier (c1886-1948)
1943	F. M. Offer
1944	G. W. Horne
1945	C. E. Bissett
1946	A. V. Adams
1947	W. J. Campbell
1948	D. Robertson
1949	Garry Thornton Nix (1887-1963)
1950	F. H. Masson
1951	V. G. Hammond
1952	B. L. Gibbs
1953	D. Milne
1954	G. Brown
1955	R. Rendall
1956	S. J. Harbinson
1957	A. MacLeod
1958	F. Thomson
1959	A. B. Arnason
1960	J. A. Irwin
1961	J. McQueen
1962	H. J. Moffatt
1963	A. W. Boultbee
1964	F. C. McCort
1965	J. H. P. Patterson
1966	H. Lee
1967	K. G. Hilton
1968	R. R. Livesley
1969	J. K. Scott
1970	S. H. Chandler
1971	A. F. Robson
1972	R. S. Vokey
1973	G. M. Morrow
1974	C. Dirks
1975	J. A. Dempsey
1976	C. R. Smith
1977	T. B. McGregor
1978	David Campbell
1979	L. G. Norrie
1980	S. E. Knight
1981	G. F. Lobson
1982	James A. “Jim” Smith
1983-2014	?

General Secretaries / General Managers

Period	Secretary / Manager
1885-1900	John Miles O’Loughlin (1849-1906)
1900-1937	Frederick John Charles “Fred” Cox (1860-1939)
1937-1952	John Herbert “Jack” Roe (1887-1952)
1952-1987	John McWilliams (1917-2003)

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Inglis Building / North West Commercial Travellers’ Association Building (291 Garry Street, Winnipeg)

Sources:

“J. E. Holland is elected head of Travellers,” Winnipeg Tribune, 13 November 1922, page 3.

100th Anniversary: “Nothing Happens Until a Sale is Made” by John McWilliams, Winnipeg: North West Commercial Travellers Association of Canada, circa 1982.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 10 November 2022