Group Archives | Page 2 of 3 | Sweat Equity – The Grimsby Homebuilding Co-operative 1953

Ingenuity and co-operation applied

With volunteer design and construction skills completed, others added their labour to build the exhibit. This echoed the tasks undertaken by their parents 60 years earlier. The magnitude […]

Working together to piece it together

With volunteer design and construction completed, others added their labour to build the exhibit. The tasks echoed those undertaken by their parents 60 years earlier. The magnitude of […]

The Co-op at 60 Working Group, 2016

The group’s mission was to honour their parent builders on the 60th anniversary of the co-op. Initially, they planned just a one-day event. As they gathered details of […]

Sweat equity at work

By 1954, after a year of study and preparation, the co-op homebuilders were well into the sweat equity part of the build. They worked in teams, in the […]

The original co-op families, 1989

While many of the original builders still lived in the neighbourhood, others travelled from around the province to participate. This effort was a testament to the esteem in […]

Community Recognition

The Grimsby Independent covered the event with a full page spread on the history of their co-operative build including archival photos. Some of the builders are seen gathered […]

Walter Muise, burns the mortgages

Once the speeches were given, Rev. Derwyn Hill, an original builder who was later ordained, led the “Benediction and Burning” of the mortgages. Could the co-operators have imagined […]

Father Marrocco and fellow priests blessed each of the 14 homes.

Father Marrocco had inspired the co-op movement in Ontario in 1952, through the work of his students at the Institute of Social Action. By 1955 he was visiting […]

The whole gang on the steps

There were different age cohorts within the kid community. The older kids had moved in at age 9 or 10, though most were only 2 or 3. A […]

A kids’ world of play

This photo best illustrates why the families studied, built and endured. How poignant that the children are digging together, and how wonderful they have the space and […]

Dorothy and Pat with their children

Co-operative homebuilding required the strong alliance of husband and wife as well as the teamwork of the men who would build together. The wives were vigilant on the […]

Homes and neighbours

A sense of community had begun when they first gathered in 1953. The culmination of their study, work and co-operation was a well-built home and a fine community […]