Who is Gaston Murdock?
Gaston Murdock were in fact two people: Murdock McLennan and Gaston Desjardins, the grandfather and grandfather-in-law of Jamie McLennan.
Gaston grew up a 10th-generation Québécois with deep roots in his community on the banks of Lac Saint-Jean. A butcher by trade, Gaston was famous for his sausage and his sense of humour — especially about sausage. As a soldier in the Canadian Army during World War II, he learned the only English words he ever spoke: the lyrics to It's a Long Way to Tipperary. To a Quebecer in the early part of the 20th century, Tipperary must have seemed a long way away indeed. Murdock lived his entire life in Winnipeg. He left school after Grade 8 and delivered messages for the CPR before starting his career at the Winnipeg Grain Exchange. In the 1940s and 50s, wheat was a booming business, and Murdock sometimes would come home with stories of signing million-dollar purchase cheques. Back then, that bought a lot of grain. "Cookie" (as his friends called him) was also a talented clarinetist. On weekends he could be found playing waltzes, swing numbers and polkas with fellow band members at dance halls across the city. These two upstanding gentlemen never met. They didn't even speak the same language. But by naming our company after them, we're not just honouring their legacy; we're celebrating the coming together of Canada's founding nations, cultures and languages. Something we continue to do in our business every day. |
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