The St-Albert Agricultural Cooperative

On July 28, 1942, the official foundation of the St. Albert Agricultural Cooperative Limited was established with a charter authorizing a capital of 400 shares at $25 each. In 1949, the cooperative acquired its first feed mixer and a grain roller. In 1955, the construction of a 30 x 16-foot building was approved, and on May 17, 1956, the project materialized to house a screen purchased for $150. Later, a bag sewing machine was added to ease the work. In 1960, the cooperative installed a molasses mixer and a new feed mixer. Three years later, the feed operation was modernized at a cost of $5,125. Four years after that, a corn grinder was added, followed the next year by equipment for grinding corn cobs. The building was renovated in 1968, and on April 21 that year, the cooperative purchased a parcel of land from Sylvio Benoit to create an eastern exit. That same year, a feed truck became necessary.

On October 9, 1977, a fire completely destroyed the buildings on Main Street, forcing the cooperative to rebuild everything. Faced with this major challenge, plans were initially made to rebuild south of the village, at the end of St. Paul Street, but the project encountered obstacles. Eventually, on November 12, a piece of land belonging to Jacques and Laurette Lauzon (lot 17, concession 9) was acquired for $20,000. Thanks to the determination of the manager and cooperative members, the project went forward despite resistance from the United Coop of Ontario. On November 18, 1978, the new agricultural cooperative was officially inaugurated, “starting fresh in buildings built without loans.” At that time, the building covered 6,000 square feet and could store 550 tonnes of bulk products.

In 1992, the Cooperative celebrated its 50th anniversary, with 391 members and 8 employees offering services such as feed, seeds, chemical fertilizers, custom spraying, hardware, farm supplies, and gasoline. Its board of directors included five members. In 1993, under the presidency of Gilles Sabourin, the hardware store was expanded by 3,000 square feet to better serve customers from St. Albert and neighbouring communities, including Crysler, Moose Creek, and Berwick.

On May 28, 1998, local cooperative members voted in favour of merging seven cooperatives: St. Albert Agricultural Cooperative Limited, St. Isidore Poultry Cooperative Limited, Casselman Agricultural Cooperative Society Inc., and Eastern Ontario Agricultural Cooperative Inc., including those from Clarence Creek, Vankleek Hill, Alexandria, and Cornwall. With this new entity, Cooperative AVANTAGE, more than 1,400 members gained increased purchasing power, particularly in animal feed, cash crops, petroleum, and consumer goods. All employees were retained and gained new specialization opportunities. Under the presidency of Gérald Benoit, August 31, 1998, marked the end of St. Albert Agricultural Cooperative as it was known, which then had sales of $4.6 million.

The year 2000 saw an incomplete merger that led to significant financial losses, forcing the closure and sale of Cooperative AVANTAGE’s assets. With assistance from the Coop Fédérée du Québec, a group of about one hundred agricultural producers mobilized to acquire certain assets of the cooperative and preserve the cooperative model in the region.

On May 21, 2001, an interim cooperative model began under the name AgriEst Agricultural Centre Cooperative, which became a branch of the Coop Fédérée, pooling assets and member shares to form sufficient equity, allowing a return to an autonomous cooperative. This model lasted 16 years.

On April 1, 2017, following a recommendation from management, the members of AgriEst Agricultural Centre Cooperative voted to join Coop Uniag, which now operates seven sites, including the one in St. Albert on the site of the 1978 reconstruction.

In 2024, for the 150th anniversary of the St. Albert parish, the Cooperative is positioned as a major economic force in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. It comprises over 930 agricultural members and 570 auxiliary members, employs 135 people, and achieves annual sales nearing $250 million.