J.J. Carrick
John James "J.J." Carrick (17 September 1873 – 11 May 1966 (aged 92)) was an American-Canadian real estate promoter, politician, and stockbroker. He was the developer of the 1909 Mariday Park neighbourhood in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Among his many accomplishments: as mayor of Port Arthur he initiated the first daylight savings time in the world (in 1908), and he sold the first Remembrance Day poppies in Canada. [6]
Parents
J.J.'s father, John Alfred Carrick, was born in 1850 in West Malling, Kent, England. He emigrated to Canada in 1866. He spent some years in America, and was there in 1873 in Terre Haute, Indiana where J.J. was born. A few years later, when J. J. was still "young" [according to J. J. 's obituary], the family moved back to Canada, where they lived on a farm in Kincardine on Lake Huron [according to J. J.'s book Hall of Fame]. In 1910 John contracted "carcinoma of the stomach". He managed his son J.J.'s office in Fort William from 1910-11, after which he moved to Toronto, residing at 1841 Dundas. In 1915 he was having an operation on his stomach to remove a tumor when he died of complications from surgery.
MR. J. A. CARRICK DEAD AT TORONTO
FATHER OF LIEUT.-COL. CARRICK, M.P., SUCCOMBS AT TORONTO TO AN OPERATION FOR TUMOR OF STOMACH
Word was received this afternoon that Mr. J. A. Carrick, father of Lieut.-Col. J. J. Carrick, M. P., died in Toronto, following an operation for tumor of the stomach.
The late Mr. Carrick was sixty-five years of age and was born in England. He came to Canada at the age of 16 years and later removed to the United States where he remained to a few years after which he again returned to Canada. He was in 1910-11 manager of the Carrick offices in Fort William and since that time he resided in Toronto.
Besides his son, Lieut.-Col. John J. Carrick, of Port Arthur, at present in France with the Canadian forces, he leaves another son, Charles S., of Sault Ste. Marie, and a daughter, Mrs. F. E. Hare, of Toronto. The widow is a sister of Mr. A. P. Harvey, of Port Arthur.
— Port Arthur News-Chronicle, 25 August 1915, page 1
J.J.'s mother was Emiline Miserve Harvey (1849 - 10 June 1929). Emiline had a brother, A.P. Harvey, who lived in Port Arthur and died before 1939. A.P. Harvey's widow lived until at least 1966, according to J.J. Carrick's 1966 obituary.
CARRICK—The death occurred in Toronto, on June 10, 1929, of Mrs. J. A. Carrick, mother of John J. Carrick, formerly of Port Arthur.
— Port Arthur News-Chronicle, 11 June 1929, page 12.
Early life
J.J. was born 17 September 1873 in Evansville, Indiana, USA, to the aforementioned John Alfred Carrick (1850 - 1915) and his wife Emiline Harvey (1849 - 1929).
He had two siblings:
- Charles S. Carrick, of Sault Ste. Marie as of the 1920s
- Mrs. F. E. Hare, of Toronto as of the 1920s.
In the 1878 in the Evansville city directory, John A. Carrick's listing is: "Singer Sewing Machine agent, res 1701 Upper 2d". The only other Carrick listed is "Harry J.", also "res 1701 Upper 2D".
At some point between 1878 and 1893, Carrick moved with his family to a farm in the small town of Kincardine on Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada.
He attended the University of Toronto, likely from 1893, graduating in 1897. [6]
Sault Ste. Marie
Carrick graduated from university at age 24 in 1897. Between 1897 and his blockbuster move to Port Arthur in 1903, he spent six years rapidly accumulating business experience and capital, likely as a salesperson and broker for deals in Sault Ste. Marie.
His precise title or exactly what he did is not clear, but it is clear that J.J. Carrick developed his real estate promotion skills in Sault Ste. Marie. The city was then dominated by the towering figure of Francis H. Clergue, an American promoter from Bangor, Maine, who had arrived in 1894 representing Philadelphia investors and built an industrial empire using a flamboyant promotional style that attracted investors from London, New York, and Philadelphia.
After graduating, he somehow found his way to Sault Ste. Marie and became involved in the businesses of F.H. Clergue. [28]
"He received his early business training at Sault Ste. Marie under the careful guidance of Francis H. Clergue." [26] Clergue was a deeply controversial American entrepreneur who arrived in Sault Ste. Marie in 1894 with Philadelphia backing and proceeded to conjure an industrial empire -- steel mills, pulp, hydroelectric power, railways, a whole transformed city -- apparently from thin air, using the same flamboyant promotional approach that Carrick later deployed in Port Arthur: buying undervalued properties, attracting British and Eastern Canadian capital, naming developments grandly, and leveraging personal charisma and political connections. Clergue caused an enormous scene in the Sault from 1894 to 1903, attracting millions in outside investment and making headlines across North America, before overextending so catastrophically that his creditors -- led by Speyer and Company of London -- forced him out of his own companies in April 1903, triggering a collapse that threw thousands of steelworkers and labourers out of employment in a single season. It was one of the most spectacular business failures in Canadian industrial history. Carrick observed this entire arc at close range -- arriving in Sault Ste. Marie just as Clergue's empire was disintegrating -- and appears to have absorbed the critical lesson: promote with Clergue's energy and vision, but never let the creditors catch you. The documentary record further shows Carrick purchasing Clergue's own hilltop properties in Sault Ste. Marie in 1911 and traveling to England and back in 1913 alongside Bertrand Joseph Clergue, Francis Clergue's youngest brother (see Sault Ste. Marie section below).
Within five years, Carrick had accumulated sufficient capital to purchase real estate for himself. Carrick's first documented Sault Ste. Marie property purchase appears in the Sault Star on December 4, 1902: Eva J. Pulleyblank sold Carrick lots 25 and 26 in Hughes Block for $1,540 -- months before his move to Port Arthur in 1903. [15]
Eva J. Pulleyblank to J. J. Carrick, $1,540, lot 26 and east 15 feet of 50 feet and east five feet of south 50 feet of lot 25, Hughes B.
— The Sault Star, December 4, 1902, Page 1
Clergue's empire collapsed in 1903, when he resigned at the insistence of his principal financiers. Carrick moved to Port Arthur that same year -- bringing with him a promotional approach that closely mirrors Clergue's: identifying undervalued properties, attracting British and Eastern Canadian capital, naming subdivisions attractively, and deploying personal charm and political connections to generate a buying frenzy. A 1915 profile in the Aurora Banner observed that Carrick 'obtained a grant of real estate interests in the Sault Ste. Marie under the careful tutelage of [a mentor]...developing real estate interests in the same way in Port Arthur.' [15] The identity of that mentor was confirmed the same year by the Kingston Whig-Standard, which named him directly: "He received his early business training at Sault Ste. Marie under the careful guidance of Francis H. Clergue." [26]
J.J.'s father J.A. Carrick managed the Sault Ste. Marie branch of Carrick Limited. In May 1910, J.A. Carrick purchased a home there for $3,500 -- confirming the family's settled presence in the city. [16]
By 1911, Carrick was still actively buying in Sault Ste. Marie. On November 2, 1911, the Sault Star ran the headline "CARRICK GETS IT": the sitting MP for Port Arthur had purchased Clergue's own hilltop property -- including Clergue's "handsome residence" -- for an English company, plus a property on Leys Bruce Street, for $75,000 total. [17]
CARRICK GETS IT -- BUYS CLERGUE PROPERTY FOR ENGLISH COMPANY -- PURCHASES LEYS BRUCE ST. PROPERTY FOR $75,000
— The Sault Star, November 2, 1911, Page 1
In May 1912, the Sault Daily Star reported that J.A. Carrick -- "father of the [MP] member, who is now managing the Sault branch of Carrick Limited" -- was managing the sale of Carrick Park, a premium property that J.J. had persuaded the Dominion Savings and Investment Society to release. [18]
CARRICK PARK IS PLACED ON MARKET The property was originally owned by Col. Leys, of London, and after his death was taken over by the Dominion Savings and Investment Society, of that city, who, knowing the many advantages of the property, persistently refused to sell it until Mr. J.J. Carrick, M.P., whose ability to pick out desirable properties is well known, finally persuaded them to sell.
— Sault Daily Star, May 9, 1912, Page 1
On October 23, 1912, the Sault Star noted that "Sault people will be glad to learn" from a telegram received by J.A. Carrick that J.J.'s Montreal surgery had been successful. On September 29, 1913, J.A. Carrick and family entertained friends at their home in Tara Hall, Sault Ste. Marie. [19] [21]
-
The Sault Star, October 23, 1912: "MR. J.J. CARRICK IS PROGRESSING WELL -- According to Telegram Received by His Father, Mr. J.A. Carrick" -
The Sault Star, September 29, 1913: "MR. AND MRS. J.A. CARRICK ENTERTAIN" at Tara Hall, Sault Ste. Marie
In June 1913, the Montreal Gazette recorded that J.J. Carrick and Mrs. Carrick arrived in Montreal from Bristol aboard the CNR liner Royal George -- traveling in the company of Mr. B.J. Clergue, Bertrand Joseph Clergue, Francis Clergue's youngest brother and MIT-trained engineering lieutenant. Their joint voyage from England confirms that the Carrick and Clergue families maintained a close business partnership well into the 1910s. [20]
ROYAL GEORGE'S LIST -- Saloon Passengers Reached Montreal Last Evening ...Mr. J.J. Carrick, Mrs. Carrick, Mr. B.J. Clergue...
— The Gazette (Montreal), June 26, 1913, Page 2
J.J. Carrick's Sault Ste. Marie connection persisted long after his political career ended. On March 7, 1939, the Sault Star announced Carrick would broadcast on radio station CJIC, telling "The Fascinating Story of Arkad -- the richest man in Babylon" -- a narrative drawn from the popular financial parable The Richest Man in Babylon, and entirely in keeping with his lifelong role as a promoter and storyteller. [22]
Port Arthur
Carrick came to Port Arthur in 1903 (other sources say 1902), attracted by a real estate boom in anticipation of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway locating at the Lakehead (it happened in 1910, adding another connection to Toronto, bringing down rail prices, complementing the CPR North Shore route which had been completed in 1885.
Carrick came to town like a lightning bolt, full of energy and enthusiasm. He managed to partner with some of the biggest names in Thunder Bay on numerous projects.
— Daniel J. Skaarup, "Success Philosophy: Standing on the Shoulders of Sleeping Giants"
The speed of Carrick's rise in Port Arthur has long raised the question of where his initial capital came from. He arrived in 1903 having listed his occupation as merely "Traveller" on his 1899 marriage licence; yet within a few years he had built a personal home (1906), founded a newspaper, and held offices in Port Arthur, Fort William, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Montreal simultaneously. Two mechanisms are documented. First, he was clearly acting as a commission agent for British and Eastern Canadian capital: his 1911 purchase of Clergue's Sault Ste. Marie properties was explicitly done "for an English company," suggesting he earned fees for brokering deals rather than always funding purchases from his own pocket. Second, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway route announcement in 1903 gave those with advance political intelligence an enormous speculative advantage in buying Lakehead land cheaply before prices soared.
A third possibility is more speculative and is noted without any direct evidential basis. The early history of Crown land and timber berth allocation in Northern Ontario was notoriously corrupt. During the Liberal provincial government of Premier George Ross (1899-1905), the Commissioner of Crown Lands -- J.M. Gibson -- oversaw the distribution of logging concessions and Crown land grants in the Thunder Bay district through a system heavily reliant on political patronage. The Gamey affair of 1903 exposed how the Ross government had offered cash bribes to opposition members; the same investigation revealed a broader pattern of Liberal patronage in Crown land and timber dealings across Northern Ontario. Carrick was, by his own account, "born of Liberal parents" (Windsor Star, 1915), and appears to have shifted publicly to the Conservatives around 1905-1908 -- precisely when the Liberal government fell and the patronage network was dismantled by Premier Whitney's Conservatives. It is possible -- though entirely unproven -- that his early Northern Ontario network included men who benefited from, or participated in, the Liberal Crown lands patronage of this era. Carrick himself was never accused of any impropriety in this regard, and the suggestion is noted here only because the pace of his early capital accumulation remains imperfectly explained and merits further archival research.
J.J. Carrick was elected mayor in 1908, for one year or less, which was apparently the length of term at the time. [2]
- 1907 - 1907 Alderman in Port Arthur
- 1908 - 1908 Mayor of Port Arthur
- 1908 - Conservative MLA in the Ontario Legislature
- 1911 - 1917 Acclaimed MP for Thunder Bay and Rainy River, sitting until the next election in 1917.
- 1915 - 1918 Lieutenant Colonel in the Canadian Militia during World War I.
Other Accomplishments:
- February 1906 - 17 February 1916 Carrick founded a newspaper, with Orillia native Edward Blake MacKay [3]: the Port Arthur Daily News (merged, sold to Thompson in 1949, and ultimately became the Chronicle-Journal). "Carrick sold the newspaper in May 1918 to John Russell Smith of the firm Davidson & Smith."
- On 1 July 1908, as Mayor, introduced Daylight Savings Time, making Port Arthur the first city in the world, and the only city in the world using it, for three years, until Orillia, Ontario implemented it in 1911. It's unclear how instrumental he was personally in this initiative, which occurred as a result of a vote on 30 March 1908 simultaneously in the councils of both Port Arthur and Fort William [4] that they would change to summer time as of 1 May 1908. One of the main reasons why this made sense was that previously, the Twin Cities were stuck at the very eastern edge of the Central Time zone, which led to early darkness in the summers. This gave the Twin Cities a particular geographic reason for implementing DST, which was effectively like switching to Eastern Time. Later in 1910, the cities received permission from the Ontario government to change to Eastern Time but they also retained Daylight Savings Time.
- In 1908, Carrick convinced the Canadian Northern Railway to build the Prince Arthur Hotel, over a poker game on a train from Winnipeg. CN paid Carrick $850,000 to have him build the hotel; the city provided the lot; this hotel is also the first place in Canada to sell the Remembrance Day poppies [6] [5]
- Carrick is "credited" with persuading the government to establish the Armoury and the Customs buildings in Port Arthur.
- Apparently Carrick was also president of the Great West Coal Company of Brandon, Manitoba, for some period of time (unknown)
- By 1910 Carrick had offices in Port Arthur, Fort William, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Montreal. He created his own mortgage finance company called The Red Path Estate. [6]
Carrick lived in Port Arthur from 1903 (other sources say 1902) to about 1918. He built a house in 1906 that still stands. In the 1960s it was occupied by the Arthur Family [6]. As of 2019, "a local businessman Gene Prpich lives there, fittingly as he is an antiques dealer" - Jack Floyd. Sunrise Antiques [7] [8]
The rear of the Carrick house faces Algoma, and it has a gorgeous park on the side.
On 31 July 1957, 40 years after moving away, Carrick visited Port Arthur for a civic event as part of a weeklong celebration of Port Arthur's centennial [9], and was given a standing ovation. Former Mayor Charles Cox (1882 - 1958) called Carrick a "spellbinder and noisemaker", saying that he "laid the groundwork for the city of Port Arthur". Local historian Joseph Placide "J.P." Bertrand (? - 1964) introduced Carrick as a "big man with a big heart". [10]
[Many?] Greet Carrick As Great Man
One of the most distinguished men to [live on?] the shores of Port Arthur received a standing ovation at a civic luncheon Wednesday as [...od?] to address old friends in the city council he was instrumental in forming.
J. J. Carrick, 84, of Mexico had come home to his former home of Port Arthur and his friends were glad to see him. The ovation lasted for several minutes. Mr. Carrick was visibly moved by the things his friends said about him.
Former Mayor Charles W. Cox [Charles Winnans Cox (1882 - 1958)] called him one of the most distinguished men ever to live in the City of Port Arthur. Mr. Cox said "J.J." as he is known, a spellbinder and a noisemaker with energy and foresight and knowledge laid the groundwork for the city of Port Arthur as we know it today.
Local historian J. P. Bertrand, who introduced Mr. Carrick, referred to him as a "big man with a big heart."
Mr. Carrick was an Alderman on Port Arthur council in 1907, mayor in 1908, MPP 1908 to 1911 before he reached the age of 38. He was elected as a member of the House of Commons for Port Arthur, Fort William, Kenora and Rainy River in 1911 and represented the area until 1917, when he [was sent?] to go overseas.
Mr. Carrick told his audience that wild horses could not have kept him in Mexico City when he received the invitation to the Centennial.
GREAT WORK
He said the things people said about him embarrassed him slightly since his return to Port Arthur. He told the group it was almost "unbelievable" the work the local people had done for the Centennial. He quoted Disraeli who said youth is a blunder, manhood is a struggle and old age a regret, and said he had reached the age of regret that he was not now in Port Arthur.
Mr. Carrick, whose first office was on Arthur Street [called Red River Road since 1970], was a real estate agent in the early days of Port Arthur. He figured prominently in such deals as the Hyland Park and the old race track, Brent park and Victoria park in Fort William.
He became an alderman in 1906 and was the first man on the city council to boast a BA from a university. He told the group the happiest years of his life were those he spent in Port Arthur raising his family.
Ald. Angelo Mauro [1922 - 2008], chairman of civic reception committee which arranged the luncheon, told Mr. Carrick his name came up in almost any discussion about the early history of this city. He expressed the hope the popular visitor would come back again. Ald. Mauro arranged a lake trout dinner which Mr. Carrick called the finest he had ever eaten.
AROUND WORLD
Mr. Carrick, who has travelled many times around the world since living in Mexico City, recalled how he had met Churchill during World War I. He said he had returned to England in 1944 just after his youngest son had been killed. He recalled a night when Mr. Churchill had been scheduled to make a speech to the world over the BBC. The prime minister hailed a cab and asked to be driven to the studios.
The cab driver said he couldn't take the unidentified man that far, and , when asked why, replied, "Churchill is going to speak in half an hour and I don't want to miss him." Mr. Churchill was so pleased with the answer he gave the man a pound note. The cabbie looked at the bill, and said "Aw, to ---- with Churchill."
The Prime Minister apparently has told this story with great gusto on himself many times.
Mr. Carrick recalled how he had started the News-Chronicle in 1907 with E. B. MacKay. The paper was known as the News in those days.
Mayor Wishart expressed the gratitude of the people and the council of Port Arthur for the work Mr. Carrick had done in the early days. She said some of the old timers had been invited to the luncheon because they or their fathers had had dealings with Mr. Carrick when he was in business here.
Crown Attorney, P. V. Ibbetson, QC, [Percy Victor Ibbetson] a former mayor [1931 - 1932] of Port Arthur, welcomed Mr. Carrick also. He said it "must be gratifying" to see the strides the city has made. He pointed out this progress had been made possible in a large measure by Mr. Carrick's ground-work.
EARLY HISTORY
Charles Miller, a long-time friend of Mr. Carrick's, wrote saying he could not attend the luncheon, but reminding the gathering of the "great part" J.J. had played in the early history of Port Arthur.
Mr. Carrick held aloft a picture of the city council in 1907 and recalled his days in company with such men as George O. P. Clavet, the first mayor, Samuel J. McCutcheon, George F. Horrigan, Robert Furguson, Robert J. Spofford, Sven Enborg, John Bowman, Neil McDougall, and the city clerk who ran the city business with only one assistant, James McTeigue, also a former alderman.
— Port Arthur News-Chronicle, 1 August 1957, Pages 1 and 5.
Carrick's fifteen years in Port Arthur, from 1903 to 1918, constituted one of the most concentrated bursts of city-building in the history of the Lakehead. He had arrived as an unknown, following the promotional blueprint of his bankrupt mentor Clergue, but where Clergue had overextended catastrophically, Carrick was disciplined enough to convert a promoter's commissions and land profits into durable personal wealth. He built Mariday Park and multiple other neighbourhoods; founded a newspaper; manoeuvred the Canadian Northern Railway into building the Prince Arthur Hotel; introduced Daylight Saving Time to North America; ran as Alderman, Mayor, MPP, and MP in succession; and did all of it while raising a family. The breadth and pace of accomplishment is difficult to overstate -- in fifteen years he had done what most men could not have done in several lifetimes. His involvement in WWI procurement and politics -- including munitions contracts alongside railway magnate Sir Donald Mann and years of Ottawa and London connections -- had broadened his horizons considerably beyond the Lakehead. By 1918, Carrick departed for Toronto. The precise reason is not documented; he never returned to live in Port Arthur. His evident ambition and cosmopolitan instincts suggest that the city he had helped to build from a frontier town into a functioning modern municipality had simply become too small for the man it had produced. Toronto offered larger capital markets, a more urbane social world, and a platform for the gold mining syndicate that would become Gachin Holdings -- a new chapter for a man who had already closed one that few could have matched.
Since none of Carrick's sons lived in Port Arthur, it seems likely none of his direct descendants lived there at any point after the family exodus in 1917. However, Carrick's mother's brother, A.P. Harvey, and wife, lived in Port Arthur until their respective deaths, so if they had children it's possible Carrick has close family descendants still living in Port Arthur to the present day.
Later career
After the war he moved to Toronto to start a brokerage business. Before doing so, Carrick was named in a Buffalo, New York lawsuit alongside Sir Donald Mann -- co-founder of the Canadian Northern Railway, the same man Carrick had persuaded to build the Prince Arthur Hotel -- and Toronto lawyer E.B. Rykman, over a $126,000 WWI shell supply claim. The case, reported in the Toronto Star on April 22, 1920, appears to relate to munitions contracts during the war, suggesting Carrick's business interests had extended into war-supply operations. [27] By 1939 it was called Gachin Holdings, with offices at 330 Bay Street, Toronto, a 16-storey office tower built in 1925 and fittingly known as the "Northern Ontario Building". [11]
J.J. Carrick lived in the second-most affluent neighbourhood in Toronto, Moore Park, at 49 St. Andrew's Gardens.
In 1930 he ran as a Liberal in the Port Arthur-Thunder Bay riding.
He ran as an independent MP in the St. George Riding in 1934, losing badly in 4th place with 207 votes to the winner, Ian Strachan, a liberal. [12]
Carrick spent the winter of 1934 - 1935 in California [13]. His son Alex visited for a month from about 9 March 1935.
On 13 January 1939 he attended a banquet commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Foreign Press Association. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain gave a speech at the event, which was held at London's Grosvenor Hotel. [14] Later in January, he returned to Canada from the trip, which was his 27th round trip to England.
We're lucky we live in Canada. Continental Europe is a Mad-House with two raving Maniacs running wild, and civil murder in Spain. And we call it Civilization!
Arrived Saturday from England-my 27th round trip. We had on board in the steerage many Czechoslovakian refugees going to the U.S. What a pathetic sight-these destitute women & children. And we call it Civilization!
Talked with many prominent Britishers, attended the 50th Anniversary Banquet of the Foreign Press-the Germans stayed away-heard Chamberlain's great speech. We've got to take off our hats to that Old Boy. Well, what's it going to be for 1939. World War? Armageddon?
We're lucky we live in Canada. We're lucky we have a great gold producing mines-mining is Canada's most prosperous industry. Gachin shareholders are lucky. Original Gachin purchasers have received over 410% dividend returns. Gachin has investments in 21 Canadian dividend paying gold mines.
P.S.-Write Gachin Holdings, 330 Bay St., Toronto, for particulars. Buy Gachin for safety & better-than-average dividends.
— J.J. Carrick, in the Globe and Mail, 23 January 1939, page 21
Circa 1939 - 1945 President of "Books for the Boys" charity, run from his 330 Bay Street office in Toronto, which ran into the hundreds of thousands of books [15]. Carrick also encouraged war savings in speeches in 1941.
I propose herewith to review Gachin operations and give shareholders a concise account of Gachin's activity since the Syndicate was organized in 1932.
Gachin Gold Syndicate, a Partnership in which all subscribers were jointly liable, was formed on August 4, 1932, with an authorized capital of $25,000.
December 7, 1932, the authorized capital of the Syndicate was increased to $200,000, and the Syndicate Agreement stated:
(1) The Syndicate shall have as its main purpose the exploration and development of mining properties.
(2) The Syndicate shall not be converted into an Investment Trust.
August 11, 1937, Gachin Holdings Limited was incorporated with only one class of stock—no par value shares...
Dividends: Subscribers to Gachin Gold Syndicate have received nearly 50% of their original investment in dividend payments.
Perhaps the brightest aspect of Gachin Holdings Limited is its ownership of a large block of Kirkland Hudson Bay. Lake Shore control Kirkland Hudson Bay. They have invested nearly one million dollars in Kirkland Hudson Bay, and have both the finances and engineering talent to make it a successful producing mine.
Gachin Holdings Limited owns 63,330 shares of Kirkland Hudson Bay.
— Report to Gachin Holdings Limited Shareholders by J.J. Carrick, 3 May 1941
On 18 October 1968, two years after Carrick's death, Gachin Holdings Limited appeared in a Vancouver Sun column where readers could submit share certificates to discover if it had any value. It was listed along with several other companies as "CHARTERED SURRENDERED OR CANCELLED". So by this point it's clear the company has ceased to exist, perhaps liquidated after the death of Carrick. [11]
The Carrick family also owned a prominent parcel at the southwest corner of Bay and Richmond Streets in downtown Toronto -- 'the old Carrick property' in press accounts. In January 1928, family members sold this lot for $270,000 to the Richmond-Bay Company Limited. The architects Chapman and Oxley -- the same firm that designed the Northern Ontario Building at 330 Bay Street -- were commissioned to design a 20-storey tower on the site, completed in 1928 as the Sterling Tower. By 1929, Carrick had moved his own offices into the Sterling Tower itself. [23] [24]
OLD CARRICK PROPERTY FETCHES $270,000 PRICE The transfer of the old Carrick property on the southwest corner of Bay and Richmond streets for $270,000 is recorded at the city registry office to-day. Andrew Carrick and William Henry Carrick are named as the vendors of part of it, and Andrew W. Carrick and John Carrick as the vendors of the rest. The purchaser is the Richmond-Bay Company Limited.
— The Toronto Star, January 9, 1928, Page 24
Marriage and family
He married Mary Jane Day on 20 December 1899 in Simcoe, Ontario. He listed his occupation as "Traveller" on the marriage license.
Mary Jane and J.J. had three sons:
- John Alfred "Jack" (1903 - 1952)
- Donald Day "Don" (1906 - 1997)
- James Alexander Crozier "Alex" (1908 - 1943)
All three sons were outstanding athletes who attended the elite private school, St. Andrew's College from 1917 until grade 12, in Aurora, Ontario, and then went on to the University of Toronto. They all became stock brokers, taking after their father.
J.J. had five grandchildren:
- Mary Day Bowen (circa 1929 - 2008), by Jack.
- Judith "Judy" Wilson (1934 - 2004) (by Alex)
- John Jay Carrick (by Alex) (9 June 1938 - 31 May 2004), co-founder of Miller McAsphalt, a large company.
- George Manton Carrick (1940 - 2023) (by Don). George married Donna Carmichael and lived for many years in Arroyo Grande, California, where he died.
- Ellen Green (born circa 1940s) (by Don)
Author
Carrick bought column space "at advertising rates" [9] in Canadian newspapers such as the Globe and Mail during the 1930s and 1940s, writing a column called Carrick-atures. This column was often accompanied by advertisements for his gold mining syndicate, Gachin Holdings. It's not clear where he came up with the name "Gachin" for this mining company - "Gachin" seems to be a place name in Iran, but perhaps this was unknown to Carrick and he simply came up with a random nonsense word.
Among the subjects of Carrick's Carrick-atures column was Robert Bruce Wightman, a mining executive and Director of Gachin Holdings and J.J. Carrick Limited, who had helped found the Labrador Mining and Exploration Company (later controlled by Hollinger). A December 1946 Carrick-atures in the Evening Telegram (Toronto) featured Wightman's photograph. [25]
Robert Bruce Wightman was recently elected a Director of Gachin Holdings. He has had considerable mining experience from Quebec to Labrador, one of the original group that organized Labrador Mining and Exploration Company, now controlled by Hollinger. Bruce is also a Director of J.J. Carrick Limited.
— The Evening Telegram (Toronto), December 2, 1946, Page 20
In 1943 he wrote a book (perhaps collecting some of previous writings) entitled Hall of Fame: Photos, Cartoons, Sketches, Eulogy, Humor, Ridicule; it was published in hardcover in 1943 by the "Institute of Financial Education". [7] In 2016, the copyright to this book fell into the public domain in Canada, 50 years after the author's death.
Hall of Fame featured in the prior art exhibits presented by Mad Magazine when defending their use of the face of Alfred E. Newman, since J.J. had apparently used it. Carl Djerassi, in recounting this fact in his 2014 book, The Pill, Pygmy Chimps, and Degas' Horse, called Hall of Fame "somewhat corny". [8]
Retirement
Carrick was widowed in January 1947. In 1951, he retired and moved to Mexico, saying that country had the ideal climate for "health, happiness and longevity." [9]
In December 1953, a photographer visited Carrick's Mexico City home and took a photograph (or perhaps the photograph was simply supplied by Carrick himself) which reveals Carrick had commissioned at least two murals of the people depicted in "Carrick-atures". The photograph also reveals the Carrick's home was richly appointed in wood, and that Carrick apparently prized his many personal and business relationships. This photographer's photograph later appeared in the [University of Saskatchewan archives https://memorysask.ca/mural-of-j-j-carrick-photographs].
By early 1966, his main residence was suite 404, at 6 Iztaccihuatl apartments, within Colonia Hipódromo Condensa, an upscale neighbourhood in Mexico City. (19°24'30.0"N 99°10'05.4"W) [13] [16]
On 11 May 1966, at age 92, he was visiting San Luis Potosí City (400 kilometres north of Mexico City) when, at 10:45 am, he died of acute cardiosclerosis uraemia. His body was brought back to Mexico City, where it was cremated on the following day, 12 May, at the cremation furnace of the Panteón de Dolores, the largest cemetery in Mexico. [13]
On 12 of May 1966, José Rodríguez Flores, Civil Registry Officer, filed a medical certificate with the Mexican government confirming the death of J. J. Carrick. [13]
Carrick's ashes were later buried at Creemore Union Cemetery, in Simcoe County, Ontario, alongside his late wife and son Jack, who had predeceased him in 1947 and 1952, respectively. [14]
Obituaries
This obituary ran in the Port Arthur News-Chronicle on 12 May 1966:
Mayor in 1908, Dies at Age 92
A former mayor of Port Arthur and a member of the Canadian Parliament for many years, John James Carrick died Wednesday in Mexico City. [inaccurate; he died 400 km north of there]. He was 92. Mr. Carrick had lived in Mexico since his retirement 15 years ago. Survivors include his second wife, Mary [is this true? The same name as his first wife?], and a son, Donald Carrick, of Toronto and an aunt, Mrs A. P. Harvey of Port Arthur.
Mr. Carrick was born in the United States and moved to Ontario while young. He started his first real estate business in Port Arthur in 1902 and was elected mayor in 1908. As mayor he persuaded the Canadian Northern Railway to build the Prince Arthur Hotel in Port Arthur.
He represented Port Arthur as a Conservative in the Ontario Legislature from 1908 to 1911 and sat for the same riding in the House of Commons from 1911 to 1917.
He later ran unsuccessfully as an Independent-Conservative and as a Liberal. During the First World War he served overseas as a colonel with the Canadian Army. In 1914 he used The Globe and Mail column Carrickatures to appeal for books for Canadian forces overseas.
PIONEERED HOTEL
When John J. came to Port Arthur in 1902 there was a blacksmith shop on the most prominent corner in the city. Today this corner is occupied by the Prince Arthur Hotel. Mr. Carrick closed the deal for this hotel with Sir William MacKenzie during [Carrick's] term as mayor. The deal was made in Sir William's private car on the way to Winnipeg.
When J. J. Carrick came to Port Arthur, and for many years after, the first hundred acres beyond the crest of the hill was a cow pasture. Mr. Carrick developed it and today it is one of the finest parks at the Lakehead — Hillcrest. Mr. Carrick named it Mariday after his first [??] wife, Mary Day, and it was called such for many years.
Mr. Carrick is also remembered for his development of Carrick Addition, Brent Park and Highland Park in the south Algoma area where once was a race track. He was also given credit for developing Victoria Park in Fort William, now one of the finest residential centres there.
KILLED OVERSEAS
Both Mr. Carrick and his first [??] wife were graduates of the University of Toronto. They had three children. A son, John died some years ago [in 1952] and a son, Alexander Crozier Carrick, who was named after the late Dr. [James Alexander Crozier] of Port Arthur, was killed overseas in World War 2. The surviving son, Donald, was named after the late Donald Hogarth.
When J.J. Carrick returned to Port Arthur in 1949 after a 20-year absence thousands turned out in the rain to applaud the man who helped make their city. He was warmly welcomed again when he returned for the centennial celebrations in 1957.
— Port Arthur News-Chronicle, 12 May 1966, Page 1
This obituary ran in the Montreal Gazette on 13 May 1966. It contains apparent inaccuracies:
- Carrick was not a soldier; he was a politician with an honourary title of "colonel"
- He moved to Port Arthur in 1903 by other sources
- His wife Mary died on 20 January 1947, according to their tombstone, so she did not survive him. [14] His Mexican death certificate also says he is a widower. [13]
TORONTO — (CP) — John James Carrick, a soldier, politician and writer who bought space at advertising rates for his column in The Globe and Mail, died in Mexico City. He was 92.
Mr. Carrick was born in the United States and moved to Canada while young. He started his first business in Port Arthur, Ont., in 1902 and was elected mayor in 1908.
The same year he was elected to the Ontario legislature as Conservative member for Port Arthur and sat until 1911. From then until 1917 he represented the constituency in the House of Commons.
During the First World War he served overseas as a colonel with Canadian army.
In 1941 he used the Globe and Mail column Carrickatures to appeal for books for Canadian forces overseas.
He retired and moved to Mexico 15 years ago, saying that country had the ideal climate for "health, happiness and longevity."
Surviving are his wife Mary and a son, Donald, of Toronto.
— The Gazette (Montréal), 13 May 1966, page 41
Family Tree
J.J. Carrick has at least 5 generations of descendants, including several highly successful athletes in Golf and Hockey. J.J.'s grandson John (Jay) Carrick founded [McAshphalt https://mcasphalt.com/advantage-2/history/] in 1970, which has become a very large industrial company.
Questions
1. Gachin Holdings as of 1932 was run out of the 16-storey "Northern Ontario Building", 330 Bay Street, in Toronto, which was completed in 1925. Did J.J. Carrick commission this building? The naming and the timing seems to fit, but there seems to be no documentation of this online. The architects, Chapman & Oxley, were a famous firm that also built the Royal Ontario Museum. [17]
2. Is there an extant photo of Carrick's wife, Mary Jane Day? The Internet does not have one.
3. Carrick claimed in about 1913 that his father was a notable figure in the oil business, and yet he was "raised on a farm 3 miles south of Kincardine". Was his father also a farmer? His father is also involved as branch manager of his real estate company in Fort William and also is involved in S.S. Marie. How does this square with him being a farmer? And why did he move from America to Kincardine in the first place?
4. There is a "Carrick Township" in Bruce County which overlaps with Kincardine. Is this Carrick township named after Carrick's father? If so, why? This article claims it was named for the Earl of Carrick, however. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Carrick [18] which just means "rocky place" - so I think this is just a coincidence.
5. What were the precise dates of his elections? He was elected and served in various positions, but usually only the year is given, and some positions seem to overlap. Also we should include his later failed campaigns to regain office in the 1920s and 1930s.
6. Find his house speeches... e.g. "Twin Cities, at the gateway of the golden west, to Winnipeg, the young giant of the prairies", which he apparently used in a speech according to a 1915-07-19 article in the Windsor Star. 7. ANSWERED: The Rockefeller claim has been definitively disproved. The Kingston Whig-Standard of February 5, 1915 states explicitly: "He received his early business training at Sault Ste. Marie under the careful guidance of Francis H. Clergue." [26]
Sources
[1] Canadiana Biography of J.J. Carrick [19]
[2] J.J. Carrick's Wikipedia page [20]
[3] Thunder Bay Museum [21]
[4] Petrone, Penny, 1995. Breaking the Mould. [22]
[5] Chronicle-Journal, 22 May 2005, "Boost and sell: John James Carrick". By Bryan Martyniuk.
[6] Success Philosophy: Standing on the Shoulders of Sleeping Giants, by Daniel J. Skaarup. [23]
[7] Carrick, J.J. Hall of Fame: Photos, Cartoons, Sketches, Eulogy, Humor, Ridicule. Harcover - 1943. Publisher: Instit. of Financial Ed.; First Edition edition (1943) ASIN: B001NRHR3C [24]
[8] Djerassi, Carl. The Pill, Pygmy Chimps, and Degas' Horse. The Autobiography of Carl Djerassi. 2014. [25] "There were references to a publication of that face [Alfred E. Newman]... to a somewhat corny book, Hall of Fame, published in 1943 in Toronto by one J. J. Carrick."
[9] J.J. Carrick obituary, Montreal Gazette, page 41, 13 May 1966.
[10] The Ottawa Journal, 14 March 1945, page 9.
[11] The Vancouver Sun, 18 October 1968, page 19.
[13] Death Certificate of J.J. Carrick, 12 May 1966.
[14] Tombstone of J. J. Carrick at Find a Grave [26] [15] Aurora Banner, June 5, 1915, Page 3 (J.J. Carrick, M.P. profile noting Sault Ste. Marie connections).
[16] The Sault Star, May 26, 1910, Page 1 (J.A. Carrick's Offer for House Accepted in Sault Ste. Marie).
[17] The Sault Star, November 2, 1911, Page 1 (Carrick Gets It -- Buys Clergue Property for English Company).
[18] Sault Daily Star, May 9, 1912, Page 1 (Carrick Park Is Placed on Market).
[19] The Sault Star, October 23, 1912, Page 1 (Mr. J.J. Carrick Is Progressing Well).
[20] The Gazette (Montreal), June 26, 1913, Page 2 (Royal George passenger list -- J.J. Carrick and B.J. Clergue).
[21] The Sault Star, September 29, 1913, Page 2 (Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Carrick Entertain at Tara Hall).
[22] The Sault Star, March 7, 1939, Page 2 (J.J. Carrick radio advertisement on CJIC).
[23] The Toronto Star, December 3, 1927, Page 32 (Start New Building at Beginning of Year -- Carrick property).
[24] The Toronto Star, January 9, 1928, Page 24 (Old Carrick Property Fetches $270,000 Price).
[25] The Evening Telegram (Toronto), December 2, 1946, Page 20 (Carrick-atures: Robert Bruce Wightman).
[26] The Kingston Whig-Standard, February 5, 1915, Page 12 ("J.J. Carrick Appointed" -- states explicitly: "He received his early business training at Sault Ste. Marie under the careful guidance of F. H. Clergue").
[27] The Toronto Star, April 22, 1920, Page 2 ("Toronto Men Involved in a Buffalo Lawsuit -- Sir Donald Mann, J.J. Carrick, and E.B. Rykman Mentioned in Shell Claim").
[28] Precisely what J.J. Carrick did from 1897 - 1903 is the subject of speculation.
In 2018, Daniel Skaarup—a local Thunder Bay roofing contractor and amateur bodybuilder—wrote and self-published a book, "Success Philosophy", containing the claim that from 1897 to 1903 Carrick worked for John D. Rockefeller, becoming a leading oil salesman. [6] He has explained in private correspondence that this claim originated in "Guardians of Progress", a 1993 book by Dr. Thorold J. Tronrud.
As an entrepreneur Carrick was greatly influenced by [Rockefeller]. It's my personal view that when Carrick came into contact with Rockefeller's level of wealth and success he got bit by the wealth bug so hard, he never got over it. Carrick became "on fire" with success and momentum and became a very talented salesman.
— Daniel J. Skaarup, "Success Philosophy: Standing on the Shoulders of Sleeping Giants"
This Rockefeller claim is now definitively disproved by a contemporary newspaper source. The Kingston Whig-Standard of February 5, 1915 stated explicitly: "He received his early business training at Sault Ste. Marie under the careful guidance of Francis H. Clergue." [26]
[29] The Toronto Star, March 2, 1911, Page 9 ("Declares J.J. Carrick In the Local House — He Made Strong Plea For More Expenditure on the Building of Roads").
[30] The Ottawa Journal, June 5, 1912, Page 9 (Ottawa property transfers — J.J. Carrick purchasing property on Gloucester Street for $900).
[31] The Hamilton Spectator, April 22, 1920, Page 1 ("Law Suit Over Shell Royalties — Calgary Man Sues J.J. Carrick Company; $126,000 Claimed Through Buffalo Court").
[32] The Toronto Star, December 16, 1920, Page 21 ("Must Buy From King, Port Arthur Company Says — Attorney-General Against the Outsiders"; Port Arthur Company and Hydro-Electric Commission dispute, J.J. Carrick as company president).
[33] The Toronto Star, November 4, 1927, Page 8 ("Yet Another Skyscraper To Be Reared on Bay St. — Valles and Rotenberg, Limited. Buys Old Carrick Property at South West Corner of Bay and Richmond; Price Reported About $240,000").
[34] The Star Weekly (Toronto), June 2, 1928, Page 7 ("Canada's White Hope for Olympic Boxing — Don Carrick, Olympic Heavyweight Candidate, Canada's Best Bet, Never Been Beaten"; profile of J.J. Carrick's son Don as undefeated Canadian heavyweight boxing champion and 1928 Olympic candidate).
[35] The Financial Post, May 12, 1934, Page 22 ("Gachin Lured From Original Aim By Dividend Mines — Manager Says May Increase Dividend to $500,000"; Gachin Gold Syndicate annual meeting).
[36] The Toronto Star, April 19, 1937, Page 16 (Gachin Gold listed on Toronto Stock Exchange daily trading table).
[37] The Financial Post, December 27, 1947, Page 18 ("Ask Hudson Bay Mines Shareholders Meet — J.J. Carrick, president of Gachin Holdings, circulates Hudson Bay Mines shareholders requesting a special shareholders' meeting").