P. . Morris Shur-‘Gain MiII, Kinkora

Fred Coady

(Courtesy of Pope Morris)

106

In 1946 merchant and former CNR station agent in Kinkora, Patrick L. Morris, built a large, four—storey mill adjacent to the railway tracks in Kinkora, and began a Shur- Gain feed service business.25 It was an opportune time for this entrepreneur because farmers were seeking better pro- duction levels in beef, pork, poultry and dairy products, to supply the expanded markets at home and abroad. The trade name Shut-Gain identified a scientifically-proven animal food concentrate, and carried the reputation of its parent company, Canada Packers Ltd., which provided Mr. Morris with valuable technical and marketing advice.26 Mr. Morris soon began to buy grain, have it crushed, mixed and packaged at Kinkora, and exported throughout the Maritime Provinces. In 1949 he opened a second mill in Summerside; a third one in Charlottetown, in 1953; and by 1954 he had 125 outlets for his Shur—Gain feed in P.E.I.27 His business skills were much admired, and he became popular business consultant in the Atlantic region.28 In ad- dition to providing some twenty jobs, most of which were filled by residents of the Kinkora area, Mr. Morris is remembered for other contributions to the community. As a trustee in the Kinkora school district, he is still remembered for his famous challenge to potato growers that he would match, bag-for—bag whatever they would give to support the building of a new school in Kinkora. As a member of the Prince County Hospital Board of Directors he helped raise $4000.00 for the construction of the new hospital from the Kinkora area residents?9 He was Presi- dent of the East Prince County Conservative Association, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Potato Marketing Association of P.E.I. He ranks with M.J. McIver as one of Kinkora’s most valuable leaders.

Mr. Morris was also responsible, in part, for the third new business in Kinkora. He encouraged Fred Coady, a veteran of World War II and a skilled mechanic, to open an