E. D. Smith
Encyclopedia
Ernest D'Israeli Smith was a Canadian
businessman and politician who founded a food company that bears his name.
He was born in the hamlet of Winona, part of Saltfleet Township (which became Stoney Creek
) on Ontario
's Niagara Peninsula
. His wife was the first president of the Women’s Institute
in Stoney Creek, which was also organized by Adelaide Hoodless
and Erland
and Janet Lee
.
In his mature years, Smith relied on his sons to spearhead new business ventures. An expansion to Britain
was foiled by the start of the First World War
, and continued fruit sales in Canada were reduced by the Great Depression
of the 1930s. Consequently, the company concentrated on tomato production for export since it was more of a staple than fruit.
After the start of the Second World War
, E.D. Smith & Sons Ltd. acquired the Canadian rights to H.P. Sauce Ltd. of Britain and in 1948 the latter's subsidiary Lea & Perrins Ltd. On October 15, 1948, E.D. Smith died. The private company bearing his name was sold to Imperial Capital in 2001. In October 2007 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Treehouse foods, Inc. Its current product line includes jams & spreads, syrups, pie fillings, ketchup, sauces, and salad dressings.
The E.D. Smith archives and collection (family and factory) is currently housed in the Erland Lee Museum
in Stoney Creek
as the Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Wentworth South
in 1900. Under redistribution, four years later Smith was re-elected as MP for the combined constituency of Wentworth
which covered all of Wentworth County
outside Hamilton
. He won a by-election in 1905.
Smith appointed to the Senate in 1913, and served until he resigned in 1946 just two years before his death.
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...
businessman and politician who founded a food company that bears his name.
He was born in the hamlet of Winona, part of Saltfleet Township (which became Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek, Ontario
Stoney Creek is a community in Ontario, Canada.Note: This article will only deal with matters up to its amalgamation with Hamilton.-Geography and population:...
) on Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
's Niagara Peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
. His wife was the first president of the Women’s Institute
Federated Women's Institutes of Canada
The Federated Women's Institutes of Canada is an umbrella organization for Women's Institutes in Canada."The idea to form a national group was first considered in 1912. In 1914, however, when the war began the idea was abandoned. At the war's end, it was Miss Mary MacIssac, Superintendent of...
in Stoney Creek, which was also organized by Adelaide Hoodless
Adelaide Hoodless
Adelaide Hoodless née Hunter was a Canadian educational reformer who founded the international women’s organization known as the Women's Institute....
and Erland
Erland Lee
Erland Lee 1864 – 1926 was a notable Canadian farmer, teacher, and government employee from Stoney Creek, Ontario who is most well known for his role in the founding of the Women’s Institutes, an international organization originally formed to promote the education of isolated rural...
and Janet Lee
Janet (Chisholm) Lee
Janet Robertson Lee was an important figure in the Niagara Region of Canada, best known for her role in the formation of the Women's Institutes in 1897, and for pioneering the Kindergarten program in Hamilton, Ontario....
.
In his mature years, Smith relied on his sons to spearhead new business ventures. An expansion to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was foiled by the start of the First World 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...
, and continued fruit sales in Canada were reduced by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s. Consequently, the company concentrated on tomato production for export since it was more of a staple than fruit.
After the start of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, E.D. Smith & Sons Ltd. acquired the Canadian rights to H.P. Sauce Ltd. of Britain and in 1948 the latter's subsidiary Lea & Perrins Ltd. On October 15, 1948, E.D. Smith died. The private company bearing his name was sold to Imperial Capital in 2001. In October 2007 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Treehouse foods, Inc. Its current product line includes jams & spreads, syrups, pie fillings, ketchup, sauces, and salad dressings.
The E.D. Smith archives and collection (family and factory) is currently housed in the Erland Lee Museum
Erland Lee Museum
The Erland Lee Museum is a National Historic Site of Canada located on the ridge of the Niagara Escarpment in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Originally a farmhouse belonging to Erland and Janet Lee, the museum is recognized as the birthplace of the first Women's Institutes, an international organization...
in Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek, Ontario
Stoney Creek is a community in Ontario, Canada.Note: This article will only deal with matters up to its amalgamation with Hamilton.-Geography and population:...
Political career
E.D. Smith was elected to the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as the Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Wentworth South
Wentworth South
Wentworth South was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904. it was located near Hamilton in the province of Ontario....
in 1900. Under redistribution, four years later Smith was re-elected as MP for the combined constituency of Wentworth
Wentworth (electoral district)
Wentworth was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1968. It was located near the City of Hamilton in the province of Ontario. This riding was first created in 1903 from parts of Wentworth North and Brant and Wentworth South ridings.Wentworth...
which covered all of Wentworth County
Wentworth County, Ontario
Wentworth County, area , is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario.It was created in 1816 as part of the Gore District in what was then Upper Canada and later Canada West...
outside Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. He won a by-election in 1905.
Smith appointed to the Senate in 1913, and served until he resigned in 1946 just two years before his death.
External links
- http://www.edsmith.com E. D. Smith Foods, Ltd., corporate site
- http://www.treehousefoods.com Treehouse Foods, Inc., corporate site
- Agricultural History pay-per-read scholarly article