Joseph H. Cohen
Encyclopedia
Joseph H. Cohen, CM
, LL.D., born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (1921 – June 2011), was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist
, and Member of the Order of Canada
. He was married to Frances Cohen (née Belzberg) and was the father of Lori, Bruce (deceased), and Phyllis.
Joseph's five brothers, John, Albert D. Cohen
, Harry B. Cohen
, Morley Cohen
, and Samuel N. 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.
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.
Several of his notable accomplishments include:
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, Manitoba (1921 – June 2011), 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...
. He was married to Frances Cohen (née Belzberg) and was the father of Lori, Bruce (deceased), and Phyllis.
Background
Joseph Cohen came from a poor immigrant family of eight, the son of Alexander and Rose (Diamond) Cohen.Joseph'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...
, Harry B. Cohen
Harry B. Cohen
Harry B. Cohen, CM, LL.D., born in Winnipeg, Manitoba , was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and Member of the Order of Canada...
, 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: ...
, and 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...
, 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.
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
Joseph Cohen was considered to be one of the major community builders/philanthropists in Vancouver.Several of his notable accomplishments include:
- Former Director of the YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, Vancouver - Former Director of the Justice Institute of British ColumbiaJustice Institute of British ColumbiaThe Justice Institute of British Columbia is a public, post-secondary educational institution in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, that is focused on training professionals in the justice, public safety and social services fields...
- Former Director, St. Vincent's Hospital
- Former Director, Teleglobe Canada (renamed VSNL International CanadaVSNL International CanadaVSNL International Canada is an international telco carrier. The company is a subsidiary of Tata Communications, part of India's Tata Group. Part of their recent work has involved the updating of the CANTAT transatlantic cable system that connects the United Kingdom and Newfoundland under the...
) - Former Chairman, Vancouver Police Foundation
- Member of the Royal Commonwealth SocietyRoyal Commonwealth SocietyThe Royal Commonwealth Society is an international educational charity and a private members' club. Its mission is to support and promote the modern Commonwealth, its culture and core values...
Awards
- VancouverVancouverVancouver 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,...
Man of the Year (1971) - Member of the Order of Canada (1978)
- Honorary Member, Canadian Association of Chiefs of PoliceCanadian Association of Chiefs of PoliceThe Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police is a national political lobby organization for police executives in Canada. It was founded in 1905 as the Chief Constables Association of Canada and adopted the current name in the early 1950s....
(1979) - Freeman, City of VancouverVancouverVancouver 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,...
(1980) - Boy ScoutsScouts CanadaScouts 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...
Medal of Merit (1982) - British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Man of the Year (1982) - Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree, University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(1986)