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The Comox Creamery and the Comox Co-op, of Courtenay, B.C.by Ron Greene (Reprinted from Numismatica Canada, June 2006 number. Used with permission.) The Comox Creamery Association was incorporated April 1, 1901. In the early couple of years it only managed to operate in summer months and its only product was butter. Even with a small output there was difficulty in selling all the butter produced and there was also difficulty in raising the $4,000 necessary to establish the creamery. But by 1903 conditions improved and by 1905 the Association was on firmer footing. From 1914 to 1919, covering the period of World War I, a subsidiary called the Courtenay Condensed Milk Company was operated and a substantial portion of the milk was diverted to the production of condensed milk rather than butter. In 1920 the Association asked for incorporation under the Agricultural Association Act as there were advantages to be a co-operative operating under this act. This request was allowed on March 20, 1920. During the 1920's sales of other produce, eggs, feed, potatoes, farm machinery, oil, and whole wheat flour grew increasingly more important, and by 1927 exceeded the value of the butter and ice cream sales. According to R.U. "Dick" Hurford, who was secretary-manager of the Association from 1905 until 1937, it did not start delivering milk until the 1940's.
C6209a A:O:27 C6209e A:R:25 Both of these pieces are rare. The only C6209a that Leslie C. Hill and I have seen has been cut down and appears round, but traces of the flat edges survive. By 1937 membership in the Association had grown to just over 300 members and growth was continued at a slow pace until 1946, when there was a major turnover, with 83 new members and 69 members dropping out, leaving a total of 406 members. On February 22, 1947 the members passed a resolution "that the name of the Comox Creamery Association be changed to that of the Comox Co-operative Creamery Association". Membership peaked in 1949 at 517 members and after that it dropped as farms were consolidated and older farmers left the industry. The year 1959 saw a drop of 164 members, to a net of only 208, and by 1964 the number of members was down to 66, but production of fluid milk kept increasing. A paper bottle machine was among the assets acquired during 1954 and the following year land and buildings were acquired in Campbell River for a warehouse. By 1964 the Co-op had drivers in Courtenay, Port Alberni, Port McNeil and Campbell River. From the Port Alberni depot Ucluelet and Tofino were served. Port Alice and Port Hardy were served from Port McNeil and Gold River was served from Campbell River. Parksville was also served. The Westview Dairy of Powell River was taken over May 21, 1965. The Co-op merged with Dairyland (Fraser Valley Milk Producers Association) on January 4, 1969 and started to use the Dairyland branding. The merger had an unfortunate side-effect as in 1972 the Department of National Revenue re-assessed the final tax return and demanded an extra $28,112.42 for taxes and interest. A 1974 letter to the Registrar of Companies signed by Edgar A. Smith, President and Alex R. Sim, Sec/Treas., said "Please be advised that the Department of National Revenue has seized the assets of the Comox Co-operative Creamery association which is consequently no longer in business," which was a sad ending for a long-lived and well respected business. The Association was finally dissolved on May 23, 1978. There are four aluminum tokens which were issued in the late 1940's, rather late for aluminum tokens. These are:
C6210a A:Sc9:27 C6210b A:Re:32x19
C6210c A:S:23½ C6210d A:R:25½
Of these four aluminum tokens, only the C6210d is easily obtainable. Some time about 1960 the first plastic tokens were introduced. They share a common obverse, with two dots in "Co**Op" as shown on C6210h.
These initial plastic tokens have the following reverses: C6210e One/Pint/Standard/Milk P(lastic)y(ellow)/w(hite letters):R(ound):38(mm) In my collection I have an C6210h which has been drilled and this may have been a "conversion" to metric, making the token good for one litre. Unfortunately it turned up well after anyone who could confirm this had left the dairy. Over the years other tokens had been added as the need arose, so that there are several different styles of lettering on the tokens. The dates that the tokens were known to be in use are shown, determined by visits to the dairy in 1963, 1965 and 1968.
C6210j Comox/Co-op/Creamery/Assn./Made in USA
C6210L Comox/Co-op/Creamery/Assn
C6210m Comox/Co-op/Creamery/Ass'n
C6210m2 Comox/Co-op/Creamery/Ass'n This piece was on hand by 1963, but not needed until the takeover of the Westview Dairy in 1965, when it was first issued in Powell River.
In 1968 the last five tokens to be ordered were put into use. These share a common obverse. The reason for different colours for the same denominations is not known. C6210q One/Quart/2%/Milk Pa(zure)/w:R:38
By February 1970 only Dairyland tokens were in use. The Comox Co-op tokens were sent to Dairyland head office to be destroyed and my contact in the co-op's office, Bob Bale, was no longer working there. The rubbings are courtesy Leslie C. Hill.
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August"The Comox Creamery & Comox Co-op" 4 - 9 "The Confederation Medals of 1927" 14 - 16
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C6210h
C6210j
C6210L
C6210m
C6210m2
C6210s