Charles Avery Dunning - Early Business Career

Early Business Career

During his short career as a farmer, Dunning was involved in the local of the Territorial Grain Growers Association, an early proponent of a farmer-owned cooperative grain marketing system. At his first general meeting of the Association, Dunning's enthusiasm was apparent, and he was promptly elected as a director. The following year, he was elected as vice-president of the Association.

A co-operative marketing system required physical assets. The Association convinced the Saskatchewan government to assist by incorporating the Saskatchewan Co-operative Elevator Company, and provide it with limited financial backing. Dunning was appointed a provisional director of a Board that had only a few months to raise the necessary capital to build a line of rural grain elevators. At age 25, the youngest man on the Board, Dunning watched as each one of his seniors turned down the critical job of organizing the capital campaign. Dunning took the job and succeeded. The following year, in 1911, he was rewarded for his efforts by being named the first general manager of the Company. Four years later, it was the largest grain handling company in the world. As manager, Dunning was instrumental in developing a provincial hail insurance scheme, which survives today as Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance.