Sam Steinberg
Encyclopedia
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(1905 - May 24, 1978) was a Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
immigrant to 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...
who transformed the grocery store founded by his mother, Steinberg's Supermarket
Steinberg's
Steinberg's was a Canadian grocery store chain that mainly operated in the province of Quebec. In addition to its flagship supermarket chain, the company operated several subsidiaries across the country...
, into one of the largest chains in the Province of Quebec.
At age four, Steinberg's family immigrated to Canada, settling in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
where his mother opened a small grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
. In 1934, Sam Steinberg opened his first self-service grocery store in the city. A visionary, he transformed food retailing through mass merchandising, mechanization, and personnel management that included a bilingualism policy for all company employees. By the end of the 1950s his stores were a dominant force throughout the Province of Quebec and in 1959 expanded into the Province of Ontario with the acquisition of 38 Grand Union stores.
Sam had an exceptional ability to choose optimal locations for his grocery outlets. He would drive around the city and size up an area very quickly, acquire the property and build a store on the site. This later translated into one of Steinberg's
Steinberg's
Steinberg's was a Canadian grocery store chain that mainly operated in the province of Quebec. In addition to its flagship supermarket chain, the company operated several subsidiaries across the country...
most profitable business ventures, Ivanhoe Investments.
By the time of his passing in 1978, Steinberg's was the largest supermarket chain in Quebec. A benefactor to his community, Sam Steinberg and his wife funded a number of philanthropic
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
causes including The Pavilion of Judaism at Expo 67
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
, the Helen & Sam Steinberg Foundation's Geriatric Day Hospital, the Family Career Scientist Award and the Sam Steinberg Award For Young Jewish Entrepreneur of the Year given by the Jewish Chamber of Commerce of Montreal.
Sam married his cousin Helen (née Roth) in 1929, who provided him with strong encouragement and a warm family life. She died in 2007 at the age of 98, and was buried next to him in Montreal's Shaar Hashomayim cemetery.
Sam Steinberg's contribution to the Canadian economy was recognized with being made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
and his induction into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame
Canadian Business Hall of Fame
The Canadian Business Hall of Fame honours "Canada's most distinguished business leaders", selected by an independent panel representing Canadian business, academic and media institutions....
.
Sam was survived by his three daughters, Marilyn, Evelyn (died 1993) and Mitzi. Disagreement among the daughters led to the sale of the family business in 1989, and the Steinberg family name disappeared from the stores in 1992. Nevertheless, the Steinberg family remains today one of the wealthiest and most respected in Canada.
External links
- Samuel Steinberg at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
Further reading
- Book: Ann Gibbon and Peter Hadekel, Steinberg: The Breakup of a Family Empire (1990).