OUR FOUNDER - MAX CORNICK
1901-1980
"This article appeared in the Northern Miner in 1961"
It was announced this past week that
William Maxwell Cornick was opening a wholesale distributing
company with headquarters in Labrador City. Mr. Cornick, a Newfoundland
businessman, stated that with his past work experience he hoped to build
up a wholesale business that would service the mining industry, institutions
and retail outlets of Labrador City and Wabush with a wide variety of quality
products at fair prices.
William Maxwell Cornick
was born on April 28th 1901 in St. John's, Newfoundland and received
his education at Bishop Feild College, where one of his classmates happened
to be Joseph R. Smallwood. While Joey went on to a political career, Max
opted for business and finance and at the age of 18 went to work
for
the Bank of Montreal in Curling on the west coast.
In 1925 he joined International Pulp & Paper who were just starting
to build a paper mill in the tiny village of Corner Brook. Spending the
next ten years with IP&P, the last several as Town Manager, he saw
a one industry town, and eventually a city, being born. He also watched
new businesses start up and grow.
This experience, plus a diverse business career after leaving Corner
Brook, led him to the conclusion that someday he would like to go into
a new one industry town and start up his own business.
Little did he know that he would take on such a challenge at the age of
60. But circumstances brought him
in November of 1960 to Carol Lake , a brand-new mining town being carved
out of the Labrador wilderness.
Seven months later, with $2,000.00 capital and a rented pickup truck, he
set up shop.