Harry B. Cohen
Encyclopedia
Harry B. Cohen, CM
, LL.D., born in Winnipeg
, Manitoba (1912 – July 11, 1990), was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist
, and Member of the Order of Canada
. His is survived by his widow, Martha Cohen
(née Block) and their four children, Philip, Cheryl, Faye (Hersh), and David.
as a film inspector during the Great Depression
. In 1932, he was transferred by Warner to Calgary
, Alberta. Taking a liking to the city, he persuaded his entire family to move West in 1934. They arrived broke, and their arrival marked the beginning of an amazing success story.
Harry's five brothers, John, Albert D. Cohen
, Morley Cohen
, Samuel N. Cohen
, and Joseph H. Cohen
, set up a small retail store and, by 1939, the family had scraped together enough monies to create General Distributors Ltd., a wholesale import firm. While his brothers went off to war, Harry (disqualified from service because of stomach ulcers), attended to the family business while still working for Warner Bros.. It is during this time that he met and married Martha Cohen
, who would eventually become one of Calgary's leading female community-builders and receive national recognition for her many accomplishments.
accomplished the most amazing feat of landing the Canadian distribution rights to Sony
products. Spotting an ad in a Japanese newspaper seeking a distributor for a new portable transistor radio
, Albert met with Sony co-founder, Akio Morita
. On the basis of a handshake deal, Albert cemented a partnership that would last for decades. The Cohen brothers scattered across Canada in order to manage the national business, each brother establishing himself in a major city: Morley (Montreal
), John (Toronto
), Joe (Vancouver
), Harry (Calgary
), and both Sam and Albert setting up headquarters (Winnipeg
).
and retailing
. Over the years, they established several hundred SAAN Stores
and Metropolitan junior department stores in all provinces of Canada. The explosive growth of the SAAN Stores
chain was guided by Samuel N. Cohen
while Metropolitan's expansion was overseen by Morley Cohen
. At one point, it is said the Cohen brothers owned downtown real estate in almost every major Canadian city. By 1983, the company was a diversified Canadian conglomerate, renamed Gendis.
, the six brothers participated in various joint ventures and/or owned several minority interests in oil & gas exploration, development, and distribution.
The companies included Tripet Resources; Chauvco Resources; Pioneer Natural Resources; Fort Chicago Energy Partners L.P.; and Tundra Oil & Gas.
). Volunteering for some 30 organizations (his favorite being Scouts Canada
, he was known for his generosity and warm spirit. Cohen ascribed his desire to help others as a result of growing up impoverished and never forgetting where he came from. His partner in philanthropy, wife Martha Cohen
, is best known for creating the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts in the downtown area. As a surprise birthday gift, Harry donated one million dollars toward the facility in 1983 and had a theater named after her.
Harry and Martha Cohen
have the distinct honor of being the first couple to be named to 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...
, LL.D., born in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba (1912 – July 11, 1990), was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, and Member 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...
. His is survived by his widow, Martha Cohen
Martha Cohen
Martha Cohen, CM, AOE, LL.D., born Martha Ruth Block in Calgary, Alberta , Community Builder and Philanthropist, Member of the Order of Canada. With her late husband, Harry B...
(née Block) and their four children, Philip, Cheryl, Faye (Hersh), and David.
Background
Harry Cohen came from a poor immigrant family of eight, the son of Alexander and Rose (Diamond) Cohen. He quit school at age 15 to help support them. Working as a doorman at a theater in Winnipeg, he obtained a job at Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
as a film inspector during 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...
. In 1932, he was transferred by Warner to Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta. Taking a liking to the city, he persuaded his entire family to move West in 1934. They arrived broke, and their arrival marked the beginning of an amazing success story.
Harry's five brothers, John, Albert D. Cohen
Albert D. Cohen
Albert Diamond Cohen, was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and Officer of the Order of Canada. He was Chairman, Co-President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Gendis Inc. , a Toronto Stock Exchange listed Canadian real estate and investment company headquartered in...
, Morley Cohen
Morley Cohen
Morley Mitchell Cohen, CM CQ, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba , was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and Member of the Order of Canada. He served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1940-1945. He is survived by his widow, Rita Lillian Cohen , and his two daughters: ...
, Samuel N. Cohen
Samuel N. Cohen
Samuel N. Cohen, CM, LL.D., was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and Member of the Order of Canada. He is survived by his widow, Leatrice Cohen ; his two sons ; and his daughter Sheri.- Biography:He was born in 1918 to Alexander Cohen and Rose Diamond.Sam's five...
, and Joseph H. Cohen
Joseph H. Cohen
Joseph H. Cohen, CM, LL.D., born in Winnipeg, Manitoba , was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and Member of the Order of Canada...
, set up a small retail store and, by 1939, the family had scraped together enough monies to create General Distributors Ltd., a wholesale import firm. While his brothers went off to war, Harry (disqualified from service because of stomach ulcers), attended to the family business while still working for Warner Bros.. It is during this time that he met and married Martha Cohen
Martha Cohen
Martha Cohen, CM, AOE, LL.D., born Martha Ruth Block in Calgary, Alberta , Community Builder and Philanthropist, Member of the Order of Canada. With her late husband, Harry B...
, who would eventually become one of Calgary's leading female community-builders and receive national recognition for her many accomplishments.
Sony and the Cohen Brothers
By 1950, General Distributors sales amounted to $1 million. In the early Fifties, the company obtained exclusive Canadian rights for Paper Mate pens. Then, in 1955, brother Albert D. CohenAlbert D. Cohen
Albert Diamond Cohen, was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and Officer of the Order of Canada. He was Chairman, Co-President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Gendis Inc. , a Toronto Stock Exchange listed Canadian real estate and investment company headquartered in...
accomplished the most amazing feat of landing the Canadian distribution rights to Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
products. Spotting an ad in a Japanese newspaper seeking a distributor for a new portable transistor radio
Transistor radio
A transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver using transistor-based circuitry. Following their development in 1954 they became the most popular electronic communication device in history, with billions manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s...
, Albert met with Sony co-founder, Akio Morita
Akio Morita
Akio Morita KBE was a Japanese businessman and co-founder of Sony Corporation along with Masaru Ibuka.-Early life:...
. On the basis of a handshake deal, Albert cemented a partnership that would last for decades. The Cohen brothers scattered across Canada in order to manage the national business, each brother establishing himself in a major city: Morley (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...
), John (Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
), Joe (Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
), Harry (Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
), and both Sam and Albert setting up headquarters (Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
).
SAAN, Metropolitan, real estate, and the Cohen Brothers
The six brothers expanded into real estateReal estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
and retailing
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
. Over the years, they established several hundred SAAN Stores
SAAN Stores
SAAN was a chain of discount department stores in Canada that began in Winnipeg, Manitoba.SAAN had more than 350 stores in the late 1990s, but by May 2005, after it emerged from bankruptcy protection, this was reduced to 142 outlets in a number of communities across Canada...
and Metropolitan junior department stores in all provinces of Canada. The explosive growth of the SAAN Stores
SAAN Stores
SAAN was a chain of discount department stores in Canada that began in Winnipeg, Manitoba.SAAN had more than 350 stores in the late 1990s, but by May 2005, after it emerged from bankruptcy protection, this was reduced to 142 outlets in a number of communities across Canada...
chain was guided by Samuel N. Cohen
Samuel N. Cohen
Samuel N. Cohen, CM, LL.D., was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and Member of the Order of Canada. He is survived by his widow, Leatrice Cohen ; his two sons ; and his daughter Sheri.- Biography:He was born in 1918 to Alexander Cohen and Rose Diamond.Sam's five...
while Metropolitan's expansion was overseen by Morley Cohen
Morley Cohen
Morley Mitchell Cohen, CM CQ, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba , was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and Member of the Order of Canada. He served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1940-1945. He is survived by his widow, Rita Lillian Cohen , and his two daughters: ...
. At one point, it is said the Cohen brothers owned downtown real estate in almost every major Canadian city. By 1983, the company was a diversified Canadian conglomerate, renamed Gendis.
Oil & Gas, and the Cohen Brothers
Under the guidance of Albert D. CohenAlbert D. Cohen
Albert Diamond Cohen, was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and Officer of the Order of Canada. He was Chairman, Co-President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Gendis Inc. , a Toronto Stock Exchange listed Canadian real estate and investment company headquartered in...
, the six brothers participated in various joint ventures and/or owned several minority interests in oil & gas exploration, development, and distribution.
The companies included Tripet Resources; Chauvco Resources; Pioneer Natural Resources; Fort Chicago Energy Partners L.P.; and Tundra Oil & Gas.
Philanthropy
Harry Cohen was considered to be one of the major community builders/philanthropists in Calgary, not to mention playing a substantive role on a national level, most notably as a director for the Federal Business Development Bank (subsequently renamed the Business Development Bank of CanadaBusiness Development Bank of Canada
The Business Development Bank of Canada is a crown corporation financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Canada. BDC plays a leadership role in delivering financial and consulting services to Canadian small business, with a particular focus on technology and exporting.BDC's debt...
). Volunteering for some 30 organizations (his favorite being Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association that, in affiliation with the French-language Association des Scouts du Canada, is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement...
, he was known for his generosity and warm spirit. Cohen ascribed his desire to help others as a result of growing up impoverished and never forgetting where he came from. His partner in philanthropy, wife Martha Cohen
Martha Cohen
Martha Cohen, CM, AOE, LL.D., born Martha Ruth Block in Calgary, Alberta , Community Builder and Philanthropist, Member of the Order of Canada. With her late husband, Harry B...
, is best known for creating the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts in the downtown area. As a surprise birthday gift, Harry donated one million dollars toward the facility in 1983 and had a theater named after her.
Awards
- Honorary Doctorate, University of CalgaryUniversity of CalgaryThe University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
(1973)
- Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe 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...
(1975)
Harry and Martha Cohen
Martha Cohen
Martha Cohen, CM, AOE, LL.D., born Martha Ruth Block in Calgary, Alberta , Community Builder and Philanthropist, Member of the Order of Canada. With her late husband, Harry B...
have the distinct honor of being the first couple to be named to 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...