Frank H. Sobey
Frank H. Sobey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frank Hoyse Sobey 24 May 1902 |
| Died | 15 December 1985 (aged 83) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, art collector |
| Spouse | Irene MacDonald |
| Children | 4; including William and David |
| Family | Sobey family |
Frank Hoyse Sobey OC[1] (24 May 1902 – 15 December 1985) was a Canadian businessman and art collector from Nova Scotia who was the primary builder of the Sobeys chain of supermarkets.
Life and career
[edit]Sobey was born on 24 May 1902 in the farming community of Lyons Brook, Nova Scotia, to John William (J.W.) Sobey and Eliza Sobey.[2] He was three years old when his family moved to the nearby coal-mining town of Stellarton. In 1907, his father purchased a meat retailing business and became a butcher, peddling meat products door-to-door from a horse-drawn wagon. In 1912, his father built a 2-storey store in Stellarton's central business district, selling mostly meat and vegetables.[3]
In an era where education opportunities were limited in small Maritime towns, Sobey left school after Grade 8 at the age of 16. While still in school, he purchased ten shares in Canada Cement, making a $100 profit in two weeks. He began reading the Financial Post to learn about money,[4] and enrolled for a year of business college in New Glasgow.[5] In 1924, he persuaded his father to expand his store to carry a full range of groceries and the family began expanding,[6] and by the early 1930s they operated stores in the nearby towns of New Glasgow, Trenton,Westville, and the university town of Antigonish.[7] In the early 1940s, the family wished to purchase a building on Archimedes Street in New Glasgow for a supermarket. The property was owned by a company named Empire Company Ltd. and to acquire the building, the family purchased the company itself.[8] Empire was transformed into the family's holding company and was privatized in 1981.
Through Empire Company Ltd., Sobey purchased a local drive-in theatre (renaming it Empire Theatre) and later built a chain of movie theatres, in addition to substantial commercial and residential real estate holdings.[citation needed] In 1971, while still active in the business, Sobey handed over formal control of the company's operations to his three sons: Bill, David, and Donald.[9] In the late 1950s, Premier Robert Stanfield appointed Sobey as unpaid president of Industrial Estates Limited;[10] Sobey is credited with guiding IEL to make investments in the 1960s that significantly expanded and diversified Nova Scotia's economy.[11] Sobey was also one of the investors behind Peter Munk (chairman of Barrick Gold) in founding Clairtone.[12]
Sobey received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the university named its Faculty of Commerce in his honour.[13] In 1985, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada[14] and inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.[15]
Sobey married Irene MacDonald on 24 November 1924.[16] They had four children: Bill, David, Donald, and Dianne.[17] All three of his sons joined the family business, each playing a key role in the development of the company.[18]
He died in Halifax in 1985 at the age of 83.[15] The majority of his estimated $40 million estate was divided equally amongst his four children, who also inherited most of his investments.[19]
References
[edit]- ^ Donham, Parker (28 December 1985). "Sobey built Empire". National Post. p. 6. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ Bruce (1985), p. 26.
- ^ Bruce (1985), pp. 37–39.
- ^ Bruce (1985), pp. 44–45.
- ^ Bruce (1985), p. 62.
- ^ Bruce (1985), p. 70.
- ^ Bruce (1985), p. 75.
- ^ Bruce (1985), pp. 153–155.
- ^ Chafe, Alexander (14 January 2022). "115 years of Sobeys: from small-town delivery service to national grocer". Atlantic Business Magazine. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ Bruce (1985), pp. 247–255; George (1970), pp. 17–18.
- ^ George (1970).
- ^ Hopkins (1978).
- ^ Elliott, Kate; Robicheau, Suzanne (2019). "Generations of Giving". Halifax, N.S.: Saint Mary's University. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ "Mr. Frank H. Sobey". Governor General of Canada. 1985. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Supermarket tycoon Frank Sobey dies, 83". Waterloo Region Record. 16 December 1985. p. E7. Retrieved 23 September 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bruce (1985), p. 72.
- ^ Bruce (1985), p. 111.
- ^ Pitts (2005), p. 154.
- ^ "Sobey's will released". The Daily Gleaner. 6 February 1986. Retrieved 23 September 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
Works cited
[edit]- Bruce, Harry (1985). Frank Sobey: The Man and the Empire. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada. ISBN 0-7715-9834-3.
- George, Roy E. (1970). The Life and Times of Industrial Estates Limited. Halifax, N.S.: Institute of Public Affairs, Dalhousie University. OCLC 1035702.
- Hopkins, Garth (1978). Clairtone: The Rise and Fall of a Business Empire. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 978-0-7710-4210-2.
- Pitts, Gordon (2005). The Codfathers: Lessons from the Atlantic Business Elite. Toronto: Key Porter Books. ISBN 1-5526-3718-2.
Further reading
[edit]- Nina Munk. My Father's Brilliant Mistake. 12 May 2008. Canadian Business
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