Jim and Betty Anne Gaynor

335 Main St

In Selkirk, the names Jim and Betty Anne Gaynor should always remain synonymous with dedication. They served the people of Selkirk and district through their entrepreneurship, hard work, and engagement in community-based initiatives always with the intention of helping families and children and making this area a better place to live.

In the Beginning

Mr. Gaynor’s life began on July of 1931 on the family farm near Horseleap, Ireland. There were twelve children in the family, nine girls and three boys. He was the youngest son. Eventually becoming a successful entrepreneur thousands of kilometers away in Canada was a product of his willingness to take risks, hard work and just enough serendipity to light a path forward.

Black and white photo of a family. — Gaynor Family Photo, c1936, Gaynor Family

A brief description of how his early adult life evolved is best said in Mr. Gaynor’s own words when he described some events for his niece, Roisin:

“It was on a Monday morning in 1948 with a change of clothes in a little case on the carrier of my bicycle and a few coins in my pocket that I peddled my way to Tullamore, Ireland for a 9am start as an apprentice to the Bar and Grocery Business getting paid the princely sum of one-half Crown plus room and board per week.”

“In 1950, getting restless and not seeing much future, I decided to go to the UK and was joined by Brendan Lawless who worked across the street in what is now Spollens, I believe. My parents were not happy but I persisted and in 1950 took the ferry to Holyhead, then a train to Birmingham where I was met by Michael Lowbridge who I had worked with in Tullamore. I got a job with the British Motor Corporation picking car parts for the assembly line until I moved to London to join Tessie and Kevin Barry (his sister and brother-in-law) who were now in London.”

“In London, I got a job with Cater Bros. who were in the retail food business. The store I was assigned to was uptown London, just down the street from the Old Vic Theatre.”

“In 1953, I attended Michael Lowbridge’s wedding in Birmingham to a young lady from outside Tullamore. Brendan Lawless was also at the wedding. We discussed what we were doing and our future plans. Brenden mentioned that he was thinking of going to Canada. I was thinking of Australia as sister Rita was there. We decided on Canada. Passports were arranged, US Visa secured and passage was booked on the Queen Elizabeth II for the end of March 1954, all without letting anyone in Ireland know what I was up to. I mailed a card to my parents from France as the ship docked there to pick up passengers to let them know I was on my way to Canada and said I would come home in two years. I would have been away five years by then. On April 5 we disembarked in New York, got a train to Buffalo, a coach to Toronto and so began my life in Canada.”

“On arrival in Toronto on April 5^th, Brendan Lawless and I were walking up Yonge St. with our luggage planning to make our way to an address we had for two fellows we had met in the UK and who were now in Toronto. We must have stood out, as a man in his car stopped and asked if we had just arrived and asked if we had a destination. We gave him the address. He invited us to get in and said he would drive us there which he did. Our first bit of luck in Canada.”

“On the way he inquired as to our employment. I indicated that I had been in the retail food business. He told us that I should apply to Loblaws as they were in major expansion mode and opening a lot of new supermarkets. I followed his advice, applied to Loblaws and spent the next 20 years with the company.”

Building a Career

In 1956, Loblaws was opening two new markets in Port Arthur, Thunder Bay and Mr. Gaynor was asked to assist with the openings as were employees from other locations in Canada. Upon completion, he was appointed the General Manager of the larger of the two stores. Then he was asked to be responsible for the general operations of both stores. He was progressing up the Loblaws ladder.

As luck would have it, in 1960 Mr. Gaynor met Miss Elizabeth (Betty) Anne Flynn of Winnipeg through a mutual acquaintance. She was responsible for the Victorian Order of Nurses.

He recalled, “I quickly set out to try and impress this talented young lady and eventually convinced her to share her life with me.” They would marry on September 2^nd, 1961. Then he added, “so commenced the best years of my life.”

They became a team in all aspects of life; in raising their children, Eileen and Tom, in business, in community activism, and philanthropy. Their team approach was a template for their decades-long success.

Black and white photo of Jim and Betty Anne Gaynor's wedding. They are seated in the back of a car and are smiling at the camera — Jim and Betty-Anne Gaynor Wedding, Sep 2 1961, Gaynor Family

In 1965, Mr. Gaynor was appointed the General Manager of the central division of Loblaws which included the two stores in Port Arthur and ten stores in Winnipeg. They relocated to Winnipeg, closer to Betty Anne’s family, and he continued his work with the central division of Loblaws until February of 1975.

Becoming an Independent Grocer

The Gaynor’s were interested in owning a grocery store and looked throughout the region at available options to purchase. He chose a store for sale in Selkirk because he liked the community the best. In 1975, they purchased Jenkinson’s Tom Boy store from the retiring owner, Cec Jenkinson. The store was ideally located on corner of Main Street and Vaughan Avenue. Mr. Gaynor retained the existing staff and was so warmly received by the community that the store doubled its business by the 4^th week. Before the year end, the neighbouring tenant moved to a larger location and Mr. Gaynor was able to expand the store.

Cecil Jenkinson Retires, 1975, Selkirk Enterprise

In 1977, the Christmas Edition of the Selkirk Enterprise described Mr. Gaynor as “a man who takes responsibility seriously and fills the position as Chamber of Commerce President with a sober awareness of its limits and its potential in bettering and developing the community. He is the instigator behind the recent Senior Citizens Week – an example of the good things he will try to promote in the town.”

The community continued to support him, and he became involved in local initiatives independently and through organizations like the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. On June 28^th, 1985, an unforeseen turn of events occurred when an attention-seeking youth started a small fire in the storage area hoping that he would get credit for putting it out and saving the store. But fires have a way of spreading uncontrollably, and it destroyed the building, resulting in a total loss. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Every cash register melted in the flames, but the drawers safely held the money and cheques. Shortly after the fire Mr. Gaynor announced, “We will build a new store-right here.” With the dedicated help of his insurance broker, Guy Coughlin, and a structural engineer and design builder, John Denoon, the demolition and rebuild of a much larger store was planned and completed in only 16 weeks. He retained his regular staff by paying them 80% of their salary during the re-building. When the new, fully modern Gaynor Foods was opened on October 28^th, the community was highly supportive and business doubled from the pre-fire period. All the staff returned and many new staff were hired. Good-will throughout the community was created because it became widely known that Mr. Gaynor had supported the staff during the re-building period. This experience reaffirmed his belief that Selkirk was an “absolutely tremendous place to do business.”

Tom Boy Gutted By Fire, 1985, Selkirk Journal

Reconstruction Starts at Burnt-out Grocery, 1985, Selkirk Enterprise

In 1987, Mr. Gaynor became the national chairman of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, an association of 6,000 members. This association represented the membership’s interests to various levels of government and provided educational aides for members through seminars, meetings, trade shows and conventions. In his own business practices Mr. Gaynor always aimed to have good staff with key people given responsibilities and the authority to do what was necessary. The same held true with the Federation having different directors being responsible for their designated area. Mr. Gaynor’s business philosophy always aimed to develop a climate of teamwork and participation. It was a time when challenging issues faced the retail industry. There was a debate over extending shopping hours and whether or not to allow Sunday shopping, a price war between Canada Safeway and Super Value, and the imposition of provincial milk pricing, to name but a few. The extension of shopping hours and ‘Sunday shopping’ were of significant concern to Mr. Gaynor because he feared for the future of small business and the impact that these issues might have on rural life in general. In time, these issues would be resolved, but not without Mr. Gaynor expressing his thoughtful opinions.

The Day of Rest in Question, 1992, Selkirk Journal

In 1989, Mr. Gaynor announced, “The people of Selkirk and District have supported us very well over the years and we want to reciprocate by providing a better facility for them.” He wanted to provide Selkirk shoppers with an upscale option that had competitive prices and a modern environment. “We are committed to the long-term viability of Selkirk and this is a modest way of giving effect to the commitment.” He aimed for there to be no need to shop for groceries in Winnipeg. He was willing to make a substantial investment by expanding the store by 13,000 square feet. He expected that Selkirk shoppers would respond positively, as they always had, and that more employment opportunities would result, as they always did. On March 20^th, 1990, the new store held its grand opening and Gaynor Foods became the largest independent grocer in Selkirk and District.

He observed, “I love coming to my store, working there, and talking with my customers every day. I feel as though my wife and I have built up thousands of friendships by having this business.”

In 1998, Mr. Gaynor was approached by a major food retailer who was interested and wanted to purchase the store. After having worked for 50 years in food retail, he decided that it was time to consider retiring. Negotiations with this prospective buyer began. “We employed 125 staff at that time and made sure that we had a written agreement with the new owners that their positions, benefits, etc. would be guaranteed.” After negotiations and a reasonable settlement for the business and shopping centre were agreed upon, the turnover date was set for February 1, 1999, exactly 24 years from the day they took possession of Jenkinson’s Tom Boy Store. The signage now reads Red River Co-op and the management and staff continue to serve the residents of Selkirk and District.

Achievements, Involvements, and Philanthropy

Mr. Gaynor credited his success in business and the community to the continuing support of his wife, family, staff members and fellow organization members. He always sought a team approach recognising that business and community initiatives are linked.

Speaking for himself and Betty Anne, he said, “We support all of the community activities—from the development of a new arena to a new arts centre. We feel quite strongly that when you’re in business in a community, you have the responsibility to put something back in terms of your time and resources. It’s not a one-way street.”

Formally recognized for his exceptional service to others throughout his career:

Won the Business Citizen of the Year outside of Winnipeg award given by the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce, 1987.
Won the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce Award, 1988.

Gaynor Wins Manitoba Chamber Award, 1988, Selkirk Journal

Recipient of the Coronation Medal.
Recipient of the Community Service Award.
Jim and Betty Anne each awarded a Commemorative Canada 150 Coin, presented by Member of Parliament, James Bezan.

Active member in many local organizations and initiatives:

Rotary Club member for 43 years. While with the Rotary, he helped develop the Gordon Howard Senior Centre, was a member of the Selkirk Regional Development Group (became Triple S), was named a Paul Harris Fellow, and given the Governor’s Award.
Chamber of Commerce member for over 25 years. President in 1977. Chaired the Downtown Redevelopment committee.

Jim Gaynor President Chamber of Commerce, 1977, Selkirk Enterprise

Member of the Manitoba Marketing Network that helped small businesses to start-up and expand.
Support and volunteer of the 2003 Western Canada Games.
Provided support for a wide range of seasonal community events (i.e. Homes for the Holidays, Children’s Festival, etc.).
Knights of Columbus member.
Awarded the Coronation Medal
Community Service Award
Awarded a Commemorative Canada 150 Coin

After the sale of the store the Gaynor family made sizable donations to various community projects aimed to improve the quality of life in Selkirk and district. They have donated well over $6 million to major local projects:

Gaynor Family Regional Library. “It is a $6 million project that had been languishing for a number of years. We were able to provide some seed funds, get provincial and regional governments on-side, plus community funds and have it opened debt-free.”

A group of men stand around grass and push shovels into the ground — Shovels Hit the Ground for the New Gaynor Family Regional Library, 2012, Selkirk District Community Foundation

Support for Nova House Building Project. Will provide shelter and programming to women who have experienced domestic abuse.
Donated $1 million to the “Gaynor Family Inclusion Centre” which when completed will provide an independent living centre for adults with intellectual disabilities. (currently under development)
Donated $10K seed money at the Selkirk & District Community Foundation inaugural meeting.

Endowment Fund Established for Selkirk & District Charities, 1995, Selkirk Journal

Donated to Youth for Christ. The drop-in space and programming used by hundreds of youths in Selkirk was devastated by an electrical fire. The Firm Foundation capital campaign with a goal of $1.8 million was initiated to rebuild the facility. After four months of fund raising, they had raised $1.39 million, sadly less than what was required to begin.

Cliff Heide, Executive Director of Youth for Christ Winnipeg recalls, “With this momentum we were only $140,000 away, but we needed more help to get us to launch the project. Miraculously, by the grace of God, on January 1^st, we received a phone call from the Gaynor Family, a well known family in the Selkirk community, indicating that they were willing to donate up to $100,000 for a match campaign to encourage others to be a part of the project and help us raise the rest of the funds to get us in the ground and start construction.”

Eileen Gaynor, representative for the family said, “Mom and Dad’s (Jim and Betty Anne Gaynor) focus has always been supporting youth. At this point many of their loyal customers will have passed, but many of these customers’ children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren still live in the community. Supporting these youth is another way our family says thank-you to the community.”

Supported the Notre Dame Church kitchen renovation.

The Gaynor family also established a number of endowments managed through the Selkirk & District Community Foundation. Tens of thousands of dollars of endowments were dedicated to specific programs to create long-term financial sustainability:

Donated $20K to the Interlake-Eastern Health Foundation to establish the “Gaynor Family Children’s Fund” in support of health and wellness services and programming for the region’s children.

Colour photo of Jim and Betty Anne Gaynor holding a cheque — Gaynor’s Donate $20,000 to Establish the Gaynor Family Children’s Fund, 2018, Interlake-Eastern Health Fund

Gaynor Family Fund. Supports children’s and youth programming through grants twice yearly.
Gaynor Family Education Fund. Provides bursaries and scholarships to grade 12 students who have demonstrated care for others through involvement in the school &/or greater community at large. The fund aims to support students pursuing a post-secondary education at a wide range of educational institutions.

In November of 2024 Jim and Betty Anne Gaynor were recognized for their support of Selkirk and District in the Manitoba Legislature by MLA Richard Perchotte.

He said, “Gaynor had a legacy of connections, empowerment, hope, respect, generosity and philanthropy. His impact included employment opportunities, respect, treated everyone like family, and offered affordable prices. They donated millions to the Selkirk Library (Gaynor Family Library), Selkirk Community Foundation, $1 million for Inclusion, Selkirk’s dream of building a living centre for persons with intellectual disabilities to live independently.” Perchotte concluded by saying, “They never ask for attention, but are heroic through their dedication.”