Stewardship and Dedication Reaps Benefits for Others Going Forward

Turning the sod for the Co-op Building at 2655 Main Street, 1950

Alegacy of charitable work was started by Lewis MacDonald through Mt. Pleasant Legion and Mt. Pleasant Co-op, and has continued under the stewardship of George Tanco, retired Notary.

Lewis MacDonald was a man who stood up for veterans, employees, indigenous people, and the underprivileged. As Notary George Tanco said, “Lewis was committed to bettering the way of the poor. Lewis had been a great union man in the Nova Scotia coal mines; he had a way of dealing with people and getting things done.” Lewis served in both the US and Canadian Navies in WWI and in the Canadian Army in WWII and he was a professional boxer. He spearheaded the formation of Mt. Pleasant Branch 177 Royal Canadian Legion (established 1945), Mt. Pleasant War Memorial Community Cooperative Association (the Co-op, 1950), and Mt. Pleasant Branch 177 Savings Credit Union (1950).

The Co-op constructed the building at 2655 Main Street and later acquired

The Co-op has made charitable contributions of $1.2 million since 1995, including over $700,000 in direct donations and almost $500,000 to its six Vancouver Foundation funds.

the building at 185 East 11th Avenue as well as the parking lot beside the buildings. Those assets were all leased to the Legion until the end of 2009. The Legion operated a Bingo there to raise funds for charitable purposes. The Legion raised significant funds for charities and often purchased cardiology equipment for Vancouver General Hospital, including, in 1957, their first heart-lung machine, designed by Dr. Walton Lillehei. George witnessed the first use of this machine, an operation by Dr. Peter Allen on a dog.

Lewis MacDonald’s wife Margaret and children Elmer, Marie Kelt, and Kay Carpenter were also very active in Legion, Credit Union, and Co-op activities, as were many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Three descendants still serve on the Co-op Board of Directors.

Under Lew’s leadership, dozens of sports teams were organized for adults and youths, including indigenous youths. For his work, Lew was named Honourary Chief of the Burrard Band by Chief Dan George, and was named Vancouver’s 1958 Good Citizen of the Year. After Lew’s passing in 1962, his leadership was commemorated by the raising of funds.

By 1986, $250,000 had been collected and was transferred to the Vancouver Foundation and placed in the BC Heart Foundation Trust to qualify for matching grants. The amount has grown to over $750,000, and the annual income is used to fund research into heart disease.

Funds were raised for the Heart Foundation during the February Heart Month campaign, culminating in an annual Queen of Hearts Ball organized by the Legion.

Another Legion fundraising activity was the very popular Bingo tent at the PNE. Under the management of Lew’s son Elmer for 35 years and continuing after that, the Legion’s charitable work included • fundraising for the Orphan’s Fund through an annual bingo; • producing the Mount Pleasant News newspaper (managed by Kay Carpenter and George Tanco); • still includes visiting veterans/members in hospital; • recruiting countless taggers to sell poppies for the Poppy Fund; • hosting a drop-in centre that was started for veterans and is still used for members and the community; and • providing annual hampers for less-fortunate veterans and community members.

During the pandemic, they are helping members with shopping and taking them to medical appointments and calling members to ensure their well-being. Since 1980, the Legion has donated almost $1 million to fund a position in community geriatrics at UBC. They have also funded the Mt. Pleasant Legion/Col. C.C.I. Merritt VC Scholarship fund; the interest goes to fund scholarships at UBC. George Tanco ignored the advice of his mother to buy a couple of houses in Vancouver with money he had saved from working at Kitimat and instead went into the sporting goods business. He became involved with the Legion in 1951, when they ordered George Tanco uniforms for a baseball team for troubled youths. The order was going to be cancelled due to lack of a coach, so George agreed to coach the team that went on to qualify for the provincial finals.

George was also involved in operating bowling alleys so when the Co-op was starting construction of the building at 2655 Main Street, with bowling lanes in the basement, George was asked by Lewis to look after the installation of the bowling alleys and to manage the operation, which he did for 4 years. George has worked tirelessly in most of the Legion’s charitable activities.

George became a Co-op member in 1955 and became a Director in 1962 after the death of Lewis MacDonald. George was elected President in 1970 (a 40th birthday present!) and has held this volunteer position now for 50 years. He’s been told we may let him retire at age 100. His daughter Susan is also a Director.

Despite being very busy with his family and his Notary/ real estate/insurance business with business partner Joe Quan prior to retirement, George has always been actively involved with the Co-op and its charitable work. To recognize him, the Co-op created the George Tanco Fund in the Vancouver Foundation that provides funds annually to St. Patrick Secondary School, the Co-op’s neighbour. George was made an Honourary Life Member of Branch 177 Legion for his many years of service to the organization.

The Co-op has helped support the Legion since 1950 and continues to do so, with the Legion residing on the lower floor of the Co-op’s Main Street building.

The Co-op has made charitable contributions of $1.2 million since 1995, including over $700,000 in direct donations and almost $500,000 to its six Vancouver Foundation funds, the first of which was established in 1995 in honour of Lewis MacDonald and Lt-Col. Cecil Merritt, VC, after Cecil’s retirement from the Co-op’s Board of Directors.

In that time, over $100,000 has been paid out in grants from those funds; the interest will continue the Co-op’s legacy of giving in perpetuity, benefitting schools, veterans, cadets, and others. All that was done under the leadership of George Tanco, who has volunteered with the Legion and the Co-op for 69 years. Everyone involved with both organizations is very glad he chose the sporting goods business! s Dorothy Kelt is granddaughter-in-law of Lewis, friend of George, a Co-op Administrator, and author of TaxTips.ca.