Cooperation at the heart of St. Albert's economic development

The cooperative movement began in St. Albert in the late 1800s, with the arrival of pioneers who had become farmers. Dedicated visionaries set in motion a movement centered on mutual aid and community needs. Times were tough, but citizens had deep-rooted values of family, unity and mutual aid that fostered development. Over the course of our history, several cooperatives have left their mark on the community: the Fromagerie, the Coopérative agricole, the Caisse populaire and, more recently, the Groupe communautaire St-Albert. Cooperation has benefited citizens, enabling economic expansion. For example, at the time, producer members sold their milk to the cheese factory for processing (butter and cheese). The Coopérative agricole helped supply products for the farm. The Caisse populaire offered savings and credit services. The francophone pride of our institutions and the perseverance of its members are now recognized. Cooperation is a way of life: you’re not born a cooperator, you become one.

July 28, 1942 marks the official founding of the Coopérative Agricole de St-Albert Limitée with the granting of a charter authorizing a capital of 400 shares of $25 each. In 1949, the arrival of the first moulding mixer and a grain roller was welcomed. In 1955, the construction of a 30 X 16 building was authorized to house the screen purchased for $150 on May 17, 1956. A pocket-sewing mill made the work easier. And, in 1960, we added a molasses machine and a new mixer. In 1963, the mill was renewed at a cost of $5,125. Four years later, a corn crusher was added, while equipment for grinding corn cobs arrived the following year. The building was renovated in 1968, and the following April 21, a parcel of land was purchased from Sylvio Benoit to make an exit to the east. That same year, a truck equipped to handle the feed was needed.

Then, on the Sunday of October 9, 1977, tragedy struck: a fire completely destroyed the buildings on Principale Street. We had to start from scratch. Quite a challenge! Plans were made to build to the south of the village, at the end of rue St-Paul. The project stalled. Finally, on November 12, a plot of land from Jacques and Laurette Lauzon, lot 17, concession 9, was purchased for $20,000. The project came to fruition thanks to the determination of its manager and the cooperators, despite strong reservations on the part of United Coop of Ontario. On November 18, 1978, the Coopérative Agricole was officially inaugurated, “starting anew in new buildings built without borrowing”, as Guy Lacombe headlined in Le Droit on Wednesday, November 15, 1978. At the time, the building was 165 feet long, with a surface area of 6,000 square feet and a capacity of 550 tons in bulk. Émile Laplante had the honor of cutting the ribbon, while Abbé Gilles Tanguay blessed the premises.

In 1992, the Cooperative celebrated its 50th anniversary. At the time, it had 391 members and a staff of 8, offering the following services: feed, seed, chemical fertilizers, custom watering, hardware, farm supplies and gasoline. At the time, the company had a 5-member Board of Directors. In 1993, while Gilles Sabourin was Chairman of the Board, the hardware store was enlarged by 3,000 square feet to better serve its customers, not only from St-Albert, but also from Crysler, Moose Creek and Berwick.

Following a historic vote on May 28, 1998, member cooperatives accept the merger of 7 cooperatives: Coopérative Agricole de Saint-Albert Ltée, Coopérative Avicole St-Isidore Ltée, Société Coopérative Agricole de Casselman Inc. and Coopérative Agricole de l’Est ontarien Inc. into Clarence Creek, Vankleek Hill, Alexandria and Cornwall. With the new Coopérative AVANTAGE, General Manager Daniel Brault forecasts sales of $34 million. In addition, over 1,400 members will enjoy greater purchasing power, particularly in the food and animal health, field crops, petroleum and consumer goods sectors. All employees will be retained, with more opportunities for specialization. Under the presidency of Gérald Benoit, August 31, 1998 marks the end of the Coopérative Agricole de Saint-Albert – as we knew it – which by then has achieved sales in St-Albert of 4.6 million.

Our Caisse populaire, an image of cooperation, stability, tenacity and social and community commitment! The Caisse populaire de St-Albert was born of local initiative. Following the failure of the Provincial Bank, which was unable to maintain its services due to outside management and, quite possibly, a lack of total involvement in the community, it became clear that only local people could take steps to provide the financial services they needed. With at least two successful ventures under its belt, the village Cheese Cooperative and the Agricultural Cooperative, the time was ripe for St-Albert to establish a Caisse populaire in 1944.

After a difficult start, our Caisse posted a remarkable performance, including the highest proportional reserve in Ontario around 1998. The Caisse asserts its presence in the community as a true, determined and effective leader, by being close to its customers and offering a range of competitive financial services. Following a merger at the turn of the 2000s, the St-Albert caisse joined forces with neighbouring caisses to become a branch of the Caisse Nouvel-Horizon. In April 2016, the Caisse populaire Nouvel-Horizon announced that its profitable St-Albert branch would close in December of that year. Management claimed that declining customer traffic was the reason for the closure. An ATM will remain in the village until 2021.

The Groupe communautaire St-Albert was founded in 2016 as a cooperative. It is committed to developing, providing and maintaining essential tools for our Franco-Ontarian community in agricultural and rural areas. The group’s commitment was clear: to save our school then threatened with closure. Their first project was a bold one: transforming the vacant Caisse populaire premises into a daycare center, which subsequently operated successfully for several years before being taken over by another non-profit organization. But that wasn’t all. The group breathed new life into our village by revitalizing Main Street and bringing together key players in the community. Today, as a not-for-profit organization, the Groupe communautaire St-Albert continues its community commitment to play an essential role in the development and flourishing future of our village. An inspiring example of the power of collaboration to shape a dynamic future.

Roger Cayer, St-Albert, 125 ans de vie, 1999, p. 188-207

https://uniquefm.ca/infos-unique/la-caisse-populaire-de-st-albert-ferme-23833