Newfoundland Margarine Company Limited
Encyclopedia
The Newfoundland Butter Company founded by John Chalker Crosbie
in 1925 was one of three oleomargarine manufacturing
firms established in Newfoundland
during the early 20th century. Oleomargarine (oleo
meaning oily) or simply margarine
manufacturing plants which used beef fat
and lard
as main ingredients were established as an inexpensive alternative to butter
manufacture which traditional used dairy
products. With the expertise of George Ehlers, a Danish
chemist
, the Crosbie family had grown the firm into the largest margarine manufacturing firm in Newfoundland. The Newfoundland Butter Company through acquisition and merger over the years with the other two manufacturing plants was eventually sold to the Lever Brothers
of England
in 1938 and became a subsidiary of Lever Brothers of Canada. To reflect the product of manufacture the company name was changed in 1950 to The Newfoundland Margarine Company Limited.
chemist in 1869, which uses a variety of soluble and insoluble ingredients which quickly became an alternative to butter. Soon after its invention it came under regulation, to protect the dairy industry where taxes were levied on yellow margarine and in some countries an outright ban on its sale.
Newfoundland did not have a strong dairy industry at the turn of the 19th century and subsequently embraced the production of margarine. Then in 1883, under the direction of Robert A. Brehm, Harvey and Company started the first margarine manufacturing plant. This plant used fish
and seal oils in its production. Brehm had left Harvey and Company shortly thereafter and started a second manufacturing plant under the name Hearn and Company which he eventually renamed Brehm Manufacturing Company after the death of his partners.
A third manufacturing plant was opened on LeMarchant Road, St. John’s
by John Chalker Crosbie
in 1925. They had hired the expertise of a Danish chemist George Ehlers in its manufacture. Within a short time this firm had taken a leading role in the production of margarine for the country. The product was sold in wooden tubs under the brands of Golden Spread and Silver Spread.
The original two companies, Harvey and Company and Brehm Manufacturing Company had amalgamated in 1932 and sold their plant to Lever Brothers
of England under Unilever
Limited in 1937. Then in 1938 the Newfoundland Butter Company was sold to the Lever Brothers. Then only one plant remained in existence, The Newfoundland Butter Company on LeMarchant Road. The name was eventually changed to Newfoundland Margarine Company Limited in 1950.
was banned in 1886 and stayed in effect until 1948, except for the period from 1917 to 1923 when it was lifted because of shortages of butter during the war
. Newfoundland continued to manufacture margarine since the first plant opened in 1883 and at times sold margarine to the rest of Canada at half the price of butter. Before Newfoundland had joined confederation
with the rest of Canada it became a negotiation point which in turn had entrenched Term 46. in the Newfoundland Act
. The stipulation within Term 46 prohibited the sale of margarine to rest of Canada but allowed the manufacture and sale of margarine within Newfoundland as noted herein:
With the joining of Newfoundland
into confederation with Canada the Newfoundland Butter Company became the first margarine manufacturing plant in Canada
. With the entrenchment of Term 46 the sale of margarine to the rest of Canada was now become unlawful to ship to any other province
within Canada. These turn of events did not please everyone and it drew well known Newfoundland political satirist and poet Greg Power
(1909 - 1997) to write the poem The Ballad of Oleo Margarine.
. In early 2000 Unilever
made the announcement that it will be closing the manufacturing plant in St. John's
. The announcement met with some disappointment and outcry. The plant on LeMarchant Road did eventually close in 2004 and the building was demolished in 2007 to make way for a Shoppers Drug Mart
.
John Chalker Crosbie
Sir John Chalker Crosbie, was a Newfoundland politician and businessman.Born in Brigus, Newfoundland, the son of George Graham Crosbie and Martha, he started a company, Crosbie and Company, which was an exporter of fish. In 1908, he was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly...
in 1925 was one of three oleomargarine manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
firms established in Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
during the early 20th century. Oleomargarine (oleo
Oleo
Oleo is a term for oils. It is commonly used to refer to a variety of things:* Margarine* Oleic acid* Oleo , A type of shock absorbers on airplane landing gear* Oleo , a bebop composition by Sonny Rollins...
meaning oily) or simply margarine
Margarine
Margarine , as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter substitutes, typically composed of vegetable oils. In many parts of the world, the market share of margarine and spreads has overtaken that of butter...
manufacturing plants which used beef fat
Fat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
and lard
Lard
Lard is pig fat in both its rendered and unrendered forms. Lard was commonly used in many cuisines as a cooking fat or shortening, or as a spread similar to butter. Its use in contemporary cuisine has diminished because of health concerns posed by its saturated-fat content and its often negative...
as main ingredients were established as an inexpensive alternative to butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
manufacture which traditional used dairy
Dairy product
Dairy products are generally defined as foods produced from cow's or domestic buffalo's milk. They are usually high-energy-yielding food products. A production plant for such processing is called a dairy or a dairy factory. Raw milk for processing comes mainly from cows, and, to a lesser extent,...
products. With the expertise of George Ehlers, a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, the Crosbie family had grown the firm into the largest margarine manufacturing firm in Newfoundland. The Newfoundland Butter Company through acquisition and merger over the years with the other two manufacturing plants was eventually sold to the Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturer founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother, James Darcy Lever . The brothers had invested in and promoted a new soap making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson, it was a huge success...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1938 and became a subsidiary of Lever Brothers of Canada. To reflect the product of manufacture the company name was changed in 1950 to The Newfoundland Margarine Company Limited.
History
Oleomargarine was invented by a FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
chemist in 1869, which uses a variety of soluble and insoluble ingredients which quickly became an alternative to butter. Soon after its invention it came under regulation, to protect the dairy industry where taxes were levied on yellow margarine and in some countries an outright ban on its sale.
Newfoundland did not have a strong dairy industry at the turn of the 19th century and subsequently embraced the production of margarine. Then in 1883, under the direction of Robert A. Brehm, Harvey and Company started the first margarine manufacturing plant. This plant used fish
Fish oil
Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish. Fish oils contain the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid , and docosahexaenoic acid , precursors of certain eicosanoids that are known to reduce inflammation throughout the body, and are thought to have many health benefits.Fish do not...
and seal oils in its production. Brehm had left Harvey and Company shortly thereafter and started a second manufacturing plant under the name Hearn and Company which he eventually renamed Brehm Manufacturing Company after the death of his partners.
A third manufacturing plant was opened on LeMarchant Road, St. John’s
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
by John Chalker Crosbie
John Chalker Crosbie
Sir John Chalker Crosbie, was a Newfoundland politician and businessman.Born in Brigus, Newfoundland, the son of George Graham Crosbie and Martha, he started a company, Crosbie and Company, which was an exporter of fish. In 1908, he was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly...
in 1925. They had hired the expertise of a Danish chemist George Ehlers in its manufacture. Within a short time this firm had taken a leading role in the production of margarine for the country. The product was sold in wooden tubs under the brands of Golden Spread and Silver Spread.
The original two companies, Harvey and Company and Brehm Manufacturing Company had amalgamated in 1932 and sold their plant to Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturer founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother, James Darcy Lever . The brothers had invested in and promoted a new soap making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson, it was a huge success...
of England under Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
Limited in 1937. Then in 1938 the Newfoundland Butter Company was sold to the Lever Brothers. Then only one plant remained in existence, The Newfoundland Butter Company on LeMarchant Road. The name was eventually changed to Newfoundland Margarine Company Limited in 1950.
Margarine and Confederation
Margarine manufacture in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was banned in 1886 and stayed in effect until 1948, except for the period from 1917 to 1923 when it was lifted because of shortages of butter during the war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Newfoundland continued to manufacture margarine since the first plant opened in 1883 and at times sold margarine to the rest of Canada at half the price of butter. Before Newfoundland had joined confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
with the rest of Canada it became a negotiation point which in turn had entrenched Term 46. in the Newfoundland Act
Newfoundland Act
The Newfoundland Act was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that confirmed and gave effect to the Terms of Union agreed to between the then-separate Dominions of Canada and Newfoundland on March 23, 1949...
. The stipulation within Term 46 prohibited the sale of margarine to rest of Canada but allowed the manufacture and sale of margarine within Newfoundland as noted herein:
With the joining of Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
into confederation with Canada the Newfoundland Butter Company became the first margarine manufacturing plant in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. With the entrenchment of Term 46 the sale of margarine to the rest of Canada was now become unlawful to ship to any other province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
within Canada. These turn of events did not please everyone and it drew well known Newfoundland political satirist and poet Greg Power
Greg Power
Gregory J. Power was a politician, office holder, farmer, poet and athlete, who was born in Dunville, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada....
(1909 - 1997) to write the poem The Ballad of Oleo Margarine.
The Ballad of Oleo Margarine
I pray that I shall never know
A future without oleo,
Or live to see my little sons
Turn up their noses at my buns;
But there is one with soul so dead,
Who’d sacrifice our spread for bread,
And ban from every Newfie table
Our wholesome, rich, improved Green Label.
- excerpt from The Ballad of Oleo Margarine, Greg Power (1909 - 1997)
Closure and current status
Major brands produced by the Newfoundland Margarine Company were Good Luck and Eversweet. Both of these products become staples of many households within the province of Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. In early 2000 Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
made the announcement that it will be closing the manufacturing plant in St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
. The announcement met with some disappointment and outcry. The plant on LeMarchant Road did eventually close in 2004 and the building was demolished in 2007 to make way for a Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is Canada's largest pharmacy chain with more than 1,241 stores operating under the names Shoppers Drug Mart in nine provinces and two territories and Pharmaprix in Quebec as well as in Hawkesbury, Ontario....
.