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Kalleem Noah – A Founding Father

Black and white portrait of a man with light hair and a dark moustache, eyebrows and eyes wearing a suit.

Kalleem Noah.

Kalleem Noah was born Kaleem Noah Bacile in Hadath el Jebbeh, Bsharri District, North Governorate, Lebanon, on October 4, 1868. He immigrated to the United States with a brother, likely Yusef, in 1887. In New York, Kalleem met up with friend Ferris Coritem of Zahlé, Lebanon. Ferris had a sister named Cecelia Coritem who became Noah’s wife.

Kalleem and Cecilia married in May of 1891. Around this time they moved to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, where Kalleem’s brother Doumit lived. Kalleem established a dry goods business and acquired more property. The Noahs moved permanently to Newfoundland by 1898. There, Kalleem sold dry goods, clothing, and other items under the trade name Kalleem Noah Ltd.

Black and white streetscape. The left hand side of the street has a mix of row and townhouses with small groups of people in front of them. Cable car tracks are being laid in the centre of the image. There is a large group of men in the right half of the photo behind two utility poles. In the background there are horse drawn carts.

Water Street, St. John’s. Kalleem Noah’s American Bargain Store at 426 Water Street is on the left. Circa 1898.


Noah opened the American Bargain Store at 426 Water Street, at the corner of Buchanan Street, soon after his arrival. He traded there for the next four to six years. At some point, he purchased the building. It was the start of a minor real estate empire. In 1920, he rebuilt and expanded the Noah Building on Water Street. That building even had a rooftop badminton court! Noah owned and built several other properties on and around New Gower Street. He also purchased a schooner, called the Lotus of Trinity, Trinity Bay. Noah used the boat to take part in the Labrador fishery, and for trade.

Colour streetscape. Light four-storey building in the centre reads Noah Bldg Erted 1920 Estb 1896 across the top of the building. Saltwater sign is above the main entrance. The building is flanked by two three-storey brick townhouses.

The 1920 Noah Building at 310 Water Street, St. John’s. 2021.

Kalleem Noah became a “spokesman and father figure” for the local Lebanese community. In 1920, he was among a small group of Lebanese residents to welcome the Archbishop of Syria to Newfoundland. Noah toured the city and countryside with the Archbishop. Then, he welcomed His Grace and other local figures to his home for a meal and speeches. Noah family weddings were also something of a spectacle for local reporters, who were not familiar with Maronite Catholic practices.

Robert Noah describes his grandfather’s businesses.  Enjoy this audio clip with transcription (EN).

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