People Archives | Page 5 of 7 | Sweat Equity – The Grimsby Homebuilding Co-operative 1953

Lakeview Public School students

Lakeview was aptly named, as Lake Ontario was visible from its front doors. Many of the co-op kids would see one another again at Grimsby Secondary School. Some […]

Teachers and students 55 years on

Meeting at a co-op anniversary exhibit held at St. Joseph’s Church in 2015, teachers and students felt a real connection as they shared memories from all those years […]

Auxiliary Fundraising

A keen interest in their church and school communities meant lots of volunteer work for co-op Moms and Dads of all faiths. Volunteering became part of their lives, […]

Awarded for leadership

Many in the co-op neighbourhood took the courses, which included instruction on public speaking. This education only deepened people’s commitment to each other and to the community. Being […]

John and Margaret Dalgleish with two of their three children, 1956.

John recalled that he and Margaret would host prayer meetings in their home, inviting anyone interested in starting a church in Grimsby. They held the first church services […]

The Hill family

Derwyn joined the co-op while working as a plasterer in the family business (The Hill Brothers). In 1963 he was ordained after completing courses at Knox College, so […]

A visit to the neighbours

Albertine would battle the red clay all the years of tending her magnificent vegetable garden.

Expert shingler John Colleary

Although John was a plasterer by trade, he was very good at shingling during the build. And so he was honoured as the King of the Shingleers.

Wilf Worley wrote a song for John Colleary

Sixty years later, John Blake would sing the song at a “Co-op at 60” information event hosted by the Grimsby Archives. It speaks to the fun-loving guy that […]

John Blake sings at the Grimsby Archives in 2016 in honour of his co-op friends.

The Grimsby Archives hosted an evening in which their members could hear about the “sweat equity” co-op story and meet some of the original builders. John Blake, who […]

Shingling in the Lakedale Co-op

Some jobs were simply backbreaking and others required skill. Sometimes work could be dangerous. Supervisors and inspectors were on hand, but men who had never done construction found […]

Shingling alone or together

Harold works on the roof of a 2-story building illustrating the challenges and dangers facing the builders. Fortunately there were contractors who over saw the day-to-day workings of […]