The main themes that underlie the history of Alberta business — the develop- ment of the business firm and the development of business-government relations — are at the heart of this study. [...] The context of the culture and the political system in which it functions is of central importance in understanding the firm and the firm, at the same time, has an impact on that context. [...] In their analysis of the evolution of firms and the relationships between firms, business historians need a command of the history of the whole economy, including the larger picture of economic expansions and depressions. [...] Dominant in the history of business in Alberta is the story of entrepreneurs who took advantage of new opportunities and, in the process, shaped and reshaped the institution of the firm and the way it carried on its operations. [...] The history of Alberta business reveals many continuities, including the survival of capitalist business practices of medieval Europe.2 In Venice during the Middle Ages, merchants did business on wooden benches in the town square in the heart of the business community.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references: p. 324-337
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 338.097123
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 21
- General Note
- Includes index Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- n-cn-ab
- ISBN
- 9781552383001 1552380092
- LCCN
- HF3229.A5
- LCCN Item number
- K52 1999eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaBNVSL
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (xxi, 362 p.)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)jme00327032 (OCoLC)45732267 (CaOOCEL)402728
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Transcribing agency
- CaBNVSL
Table of Contents
- Contents 6
- Preface 10
- Acknowledgments 22
- Introduction 14
- Map of Alberta 20
- PART ONE: ALBERTA BUSINESS FOUNDATIONS 24
- 1. The Road to Edmonton 26
- Northern Italian Merchants 28
- French Mercantilism, Canadian Business, and French Canada 29
- British Mercantilism, Canadian Business, and British Canada 30
- Early Growth of Edmonton House 32
- North West Company and the Rise of Fort Augustus 41
- Hudson's Bay Company and the Development of Edmonton House 49
- 2. Business in Territorial Alberta 62
- Political Setting 62
- Economic Setting 68
- Territorial Enterprises as Small Family Businesses 71
- The General Merchant 71
- John A. McDougall: a General Merchant 72
- The Manufacturer 76
- David Suitor: an Iron Founder 77
- Service Businesses 78
- Cowdry Brothers: a Private Banking Firm 78
- Ranching Businesses 80
- A. E. Cross: a Cattle Rancher 80
- Farming Businesses 82
- Thomas Hoskin: a Farmer 84
- Close of the Territorial Period 85
- PART TWO: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW PROVINCE 92
- 3. Expansion of Alberta Business 94
- Developing the Tradition of Government—Business Relations 95
- Alexander Rutherford and Alberta Business 95
- R. B. Bennett and Alberta Business 98
- Conflict between Bennett and Rutherford 100
- Legacy of the Rutherford and Bennett Generation 100
- Economic Growth 102
- Developing the Transportation Network 103
- Railways 103
- Roads 105
- Age of the Car and Truck 107
- Communications 107
- Agricultural Development 108
- Charles S. Noble, the Noble Blade Cultivator, and Farming 109
- Maturing of Alberta Industry 111
- Pat Burns, Cattle, and Meat Packing 112
- John Gainer and Meat Packing 112
- 4. Specialization in Alberta Business 120
- Urban Growth and Specialization in Business 120
- Specialization in Commerce 121
- Hardware Businesses 122
- Ross Bros. Hardware 122
- George L. Chesney Hardware 123
- High River Hardware Company 125
- Drugstores 127
- Dunlap Drug Company 127
- Stokes Drug Company 128
- Jewellery Stores 130
- Alexander B. Mitchell: Jeweller 130
- Godley's Jewellery 131
- Specialization in Manufacturing 133
- Thomas Hutchinson: Harness and Saddle Manufacturer 133
- Robert J. Welsh: Harness Manufacturer 134
- Herbert J. Sissons: Brick Manufacturer 136
- Specialization in Service Businesses 137
- Conduct of Business by the 1940s 138
- Business Attitudes 139
- Alberta's Changing Business System 140
- PART THREE: EMERGENCE OF BIG BUSINESS IN ALBERTA 146
- 5. Big Business in Alberta 148
- Railways: the First Big Businesses 150
- Canadian Pacific Railway: a Pioneer in Big Business 151
- Spread of Big Business in Alberta 154
- Robert J. Hutchings and Great West Saddlery 155
- Big Business in the Alberta Meat Industry 156
- Mass Distribution 157
- Johnstone Walker: a Department Store 158
- Jenkins' Groceteria: a Chain Store 162
- Canada Safeway and Mass Retailing in Alberta 165
- Mass Production 167
- Imperial Oil and Mass Production 168
- Frederick C. Mannix and the Rise of Big Business 170
- Restructuring the Business Firm in Alberta 173
- Vertical Integration 173
- Horizontal Integration 175
- Alberta's Early Merger Movements 175
- Big Business as a Social Institution 176
- Persistence of Small Businesses in Alberta 178
- Alberta's New Business System 179
- 6. Government and Business in Alberta 186
- Government Promotion and Regulation of Railways 188
- Tariff and Federal Regulation 191
- Labour and Business Regulation 194
- Regulation and the Anticombines Movement 197
- Banking Regulation 200
- Farmers and the Canadian Wheat Board 204
- Government Promotion and Regulation of Oil and Natural Gas Businesses 206
- A Changing Political Economy 208
- 7. Diversified, Decentralized Businesses in Alberta 216
- Changes in the Alberta Business System 216
- ATCO Industries 218
- Foremost Industries and Decentralized Management 222
- Standen's and Diversification 228
- Canbra Foods: a Diversified Company 233
- Growing Importance of Alberta Multinationals 236
- Large Diversified Alberta Firms in Politics 241
- PART FOUR: RECENT TRENDS IN ALBERTA BUSINESS 252
- 8. Small Business in the Maturing Alberta Economy 254
- Small Business in Manufacturing 255
- Small Business in Sales and Services 266
- Small Business in Farming and Ranching 275
- Women in Small Business Management 280
- Government Policies for Small Business 285
- 9. Challenges to Alberta Business at Home and Abroad 296
- Alberta Business in the New World Order 297
- Regulation: Canadian Politics and Economic Uncertainty in Alberta 297
- Deregulating the Oil and Gas Industry 298
- Growth through Free Trade 298
- Big Business and New Opportunities 299
- Restructuring Alberta Business 308
- Small Business and Fresh Opportunities 313
- Growth of Franchising 329
- New Regulation: Environment Problems 331
- Alberta Firms' Overseas Expansion 332
- Alberta Business at the Close of the Century 336
- BIBLIOGRAPHY 347
- INDEX 362
- A 362
- B 363
- C 364
- D 367
- E 368
- F 369
- G 370
- H 371
- I 372
- J 372
- K 372
- L 373
- M 374
- N 376
- O 377
- P 377
- Q 379
- R 379
- S 381
- T 383
- U 384
- V 384
- W 384
- X 385
- Y 385
