Square Deal Co-op

Reston Recorder November 1965

The business known as the Square Deal Co-Op began at Ewart, MB in 1929 with farmers pooling their money in a co-operative to start a fuel supply business. E.J. "Eddie" Guthrie was at the original meeting where the goal was to get 57 farmers to sign up at $25 each a share to finance the venture. The first board was chaired by James Stuart Donald with Joe Wood as vice president. David J. Brownlee was the secretary, Ed Walker, Tom McKay and W.J. Hitchcock were on the board with Eddie Guthrie. Joe Wood was hired as the Co-op Manager that summer so Archie Campbell took his spot on the board. A plant was established with storage tanks and pumping facilities and the next year an office was built. Business continued through the hard years of the depression when sometimes members needed to personally guarantee the fuel supplier would be paid to receive delivery.   Much discussion happened in 1944, when it was proposed to move the facilities to Reston. The motion to move carried 26 votes to 15.

A building on the west side of Main Street (which was later Bernice's Fabric Gallery) was the start of the Square Deal Co-Op in Reston.  Expansion came with community support and a fertilizer shed was built in 1963. Lots were purchased from Hugh Buscarlet and Harry Forrest for a new farm supplies store.  The warehouse was built on the north side of the lots where the  Fumerton/Baldwin block had been and the farm supplies service center on the Cates block space.  The lumber warehouse was (and still is) to the southeast of these buildings where Reuben Johnson had previously run a draying business.  Doug Donald was president when the new locations were opened. 

The grand opening of these buildings was just about exactly 57 years ago from writing this post! 

Bulk fuel deliveries were the mainstay of the Square Deal Co-Op and operated for many decades. Lloyd Johnson was in charge of fuel and deliveries from 1959 to 1980 from tanks on Railroad Avenue. Edwin's account above for $6.65 was entered by Fred Paul, a longtime employee as was Bob Clark and Clifford Smith. Hardware and farm supplies were also important goods as is shown in the receipts below from 1962 and 1967. 

The hardware and lumber divisions had separate managers and many names are associated with the Square Deal.  Gordon Bieber moved to Reston in 1970 to be lumber manager.  He boarded with Mary and John MacDonald until he bought his own home just to the east of it.  He and his family lived here until 1976 when he transferred to Melville Co-op.  Please let me know in the comments below or to ssimms@escape.ca if you know of other former managers or employees. The stories of the people of Reston's past are so important to preserve!

Opening Specials 1965 - Clipped from Reston Recorder online

On December 1980, the Square Deal Co-Op  hardware and lumber division was closed and it became T&C Hardware.  Later, it became Stewart Lumber operated and party owned by Brian Zarn. It became part of the Pro Hardware franchise eight years down the road in 1989. Many local homes and businesses were constructed over these 26 years with materials supplied by Stewart Lumber. North American Lumber took over for a time and the store ceased operation in June of 2007. Hometown Lumber & Supply opened in this space in the fall of 2016 and are going strong. Square Deals continue in Reston!

November, 2022 - 57 years after the Grand Opening