The Rural Voice, 1990-07, Page 501
NEWS
HONOURING THE CO-OPERATIVE SPIRIT
story and photos by W. Merle Gunby
The hamlet of Malcolm in Bruce County has physically all but disappeared, but
judging from the crowd gathered at the site west of Elmwood on June 9, the sense of
community is still strong.
More than 125 people came out to commemorate the first farmer's buying club
to join the United Farmer's Co-operative Company, the forerunner of the United Co-
operatives of Ontario.
A plaque was unveiled and joins the cairn that was erected by the local Women's
Institute in 1967 to mark the former site of Malcolm.
Byron Monk farms the land nearby, and his father Orville is a member of the
Byron Monk, Pat Bierworth, and Les Leifso remove the Bruce tartan from the plaque
that represents 75 years of community co-operation. All three men are active in local
affairs and all are descendants of founding members of the North Brant buying club.
46 THE RURAL VOICE
Mark Hamel, chairman of the Chesleyl
Elmwood UCO branch and master of
ceremonies for the dedication, stands
with Rev. Murray Rounding.
United Co-operatives board of direc-
tors. Byron's great-grandfather Her-
man Monk was the fust president of the
North Brant Association No. 1, the
Malcolm farmer's buying club. "We
trace the roots of the UCO back to here,"
Byron says.
Orville Monk noted that the buyer's
club must have been operating some
time before 1914, but there isn't any
written record prior to that year — the
year when J. J. Morrison came from
Toronto and incorporated the Malcolm
buyers club as a branch of the United
Farmer's Co-operative.
When the club began, it operated out
of rented space in the post office build-
ing. One of the early decisions was to
purchase property. A site was available
for $40, and the early minutes show that
it was finally purchased by the club for
$35, each member contributing $1 to
cover the cost.
In 1940, the North Brant Association
No. 1 joined the Marmion club in neigh-
bouring Sullivan Township to form the
Grey Bruce Consumers Co-operative
operating out of Elmwood.0