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

John Archibald McTaggart (1873-1928)

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 September 2024