Inspired by the growing labour movement in England, Grenfell was convinced that a co-operative — a business owned by members who also use its products and services — would allow fishermen to break the cycle of economic bondage. But he needed a leader on the ground, someone who could convince the community of the idea. That someone was William Pike.

It was a tough sell. Impoverished fishing families didn’t have the capital to invest in a co-operative and were intimidated by the merchants. The risk was high, and rewards seemed distant. Pike and Grenfell’s plan was further stymied by a horribly small catch in 1895, and the prospect of breaking the credit system seemed bleak.

Karen Pike, no relation to William Pike, works at the Red Bay visitor interpretation centre, which preserves the fishing and whaling history of this small but significant outport. She notes that nobody made a big living off the fisheries in the late 1800s, and it was a challenge for families to manage yearly finances when they could only work seasonally.

“A lot of those men weren’t educated. They had [everything] working against them,” she says.

Still, William Pike persevered, spreading the word about co-operatives and advocating for change. By 1896, his hard work had paid off — and luck was on Red Bay’s side. That year, the catch was good, and fishermen also salvaged the cargo of a nearby shipwreck, which provided an extra financial cushion. To say they were determined is an understatement. Their motto “Let’s eat grass for flour and get out of debt” shows just how dedicated they were to success. Their initial investment was $85, with 17 families contributing five dollars apiece to the burgeoning co-op — money painstakingly saved, one penny at a time, giving the co-operative its nickname: the Copper Store. With that initial investment, the Red Bay Co-operative Society became the first co-operative in Newfoundland and Labrador on August 20, 1896. The co-operative offered fairness and freedom.