Over an eighty-seven year period the
Wetaskiwin Co-op has responded to the consumers' demand for groceries, feed for their
livestock, petroleum products, fertilizer, farm supplies, tack, lumber, hardware,
furniture, appliances, home
decorating items and several other kinds of merchandize and services. Expecting the best the
Co-op
made some fairly wise decisions and very bold moves.
Purchasing a permanent building in 1919 was
one of their first major decisions. As the business grew they increased the size of
the original building and acquired more property next to the building, on CPR leases, and
other locations in close proximity to the main store. This was necessary to
accommodate the every increasing inventory, warehousing, offices and new business
divisions. Eventually the expansions encompassed the remainder of the full city block and
also more land and buildings across
the street. In need of additional storage space the Co-op also built a three-carload
capacity warehouse on a CPR lease and also bought another much larger warehouse on another
CPR lease along the stockyards and elevator row on 51st Ave. These all succeeded in
becoming good investments.
Acquiring the country store
and service station (now Falun Service Centre) was another wise move. That investment paid for itself within eight years. Today the Falun Branch is a new facility with groceries, hardware,
tools, lumber, bagged feed, full service petroleum services and cardlock.
In Wetaskiwin, a fairly
extensive addition to the original grocery store and main building resulted in a superb
food market which opened in late 1960.
The Lumber Division came next. Saskatchewan co-operatives began establish lumber
yards across their province around the beginning of the 1950's. In order to ensure
a dependable source of lumber supplies they also started investing in lumber mill
operations in BC and Northern Alberta. By the mid 1960's the operation in Smith,
Alberta was milling approximately 30 Million board feet of lumber annually.
Until
then it was difficult to obtain good wholesale prices on lumber. With the availability of
a steady supply of product from an Alberta source it was an ideal opportunity for the
Wetaskiwin Co-op to enter the lumber business. They built a substantial lumber
warehouse in 1955 three blocks to the south of the main store. In 1959 the lumber
division was moved again closer to the main store, but by 1964 they outgrew that location,
too. A deal was struck with Paul Moseson to purchase his lumber yard, workshop and
land on both sides of 49 Avenue (Previously Lansdown) and adjacent to the main Co-op
store. 
The following year the lumber department expanded again with the creation of a
construction and contracting department. By 1967 the Co-op had successfully acted as
the general contractor for over sixty structures including farm and industrial buildings.
A brand new Service Center was officially opened
on November 24, 1964 in Wetaskiwin.
Across the street from the Service Center the main store
sold furniture, appliances, mattresses, televisions, wallpaper, all sorts of home decor
items and food.. There was something for everyone at the Co-op.
Entering
the feed business was a logical next step in expanding operations. Up until 1964 the Co-op
had been providing bagged feed to their members. Acquiring a feed mix mill meant
that the Co-op could manufacture, sell and deliver all types of livestock feeds anywhere
in Western Canada. They engaged nutritionists and feed mill experts. They all
worked hard to expand the business and by 1974 a brand new 5,000 square foot
facility with
39 steel bins and 28,000 bushel outside grain storage
bins was built.
The Co-op introduced restrictions on the use of animal
by-products long before the government started imposing restrictions. Today they
create custom feed programs that entice producers from all over Alberta and parts of
Saskatchewan. Learn More
With the growing need for petroleum products in Central
Alberta, opportunity came knocking once again so the Co-op established a bulk petroleum
department. Around 1932 the Co-op participated in a bulk petroleum plant on a CPR
site and provided delivery services for six years until a co-operative refinery was
established. 
To avoid duplication the
Co-op ceased deliveries until they purchased the Falun Store in 1944. A report from the 1950's shows that the Wetaskiwin
Co-op delivered 2 1/2 million gallons of fuel to the Wetaskiwin Co-op members in an eight
year period.
The bulk petroleum division has changed
tremendously since that time. It serves both farm and commercial operations and
until the fall of 2006 included a convenience store and full service gas bar.
The bright state of the art Cardlock operations in Wetaskiwin and Falun are
connected to 230 similar locations across Western Canada - extra convenience
and savings for their cardlock customers. The bulk petroleum
division's storage and a guaranteed delivery program make it a very busy
year-round operation. Read more
Every
entrepreneurial endeavour seemed to prove that the Co-op knew how to seize an opportunity
and make it succeed. Since the very first meeting in 1916 forthright and loyal
farmers, never wavering in their commitment to each other or to the community, have taken
one bold step after another. The Wetaskiwin Co-operative is one of their legacies -
one that their families and the community can look upon with pride - their tradition of
co-operation a guiding light into the new millennium.
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