With a country the size of Canada, there is often a challenge to connect east and west, both physically and socially. Uniting the country took a huge step forward 55 years ago this fall, with the official opening of the Trans-Canada Highway. Mannix Ltd. was intimately involved in this massive nation-wide project, spending eight years laying sections near Calgary, Medicine Hat and Sudbury and tackling difficult mountain sections in the Yoho and Glacier national parks and the Kicking Horse Pass. Connecting all ten provinces, the TCH spans more than 7800 kilometers and is one of the longest routes of its kind in the world.
Giving a voice to the west was just as important to the Mannix family as being physically connected. Several years after the TCH opened, in 1970, F.C Mannix joined together with three other influential individuals to establish the nonprofit Canada West Foundation.
“I believe we have as much integrity in Alberta as anyone in Ottawa,” F.C. Mannix commented.
Director and Vice Chairman of the Royal Bank of Canada, Doug Gardiner, admired Mannix: “He was a dedicated westerner. He has done so much in a quiet background, not front and center, because that’s not his makeup. But he has done more to make sure the West was well represented and well looked after.”
The Canada West Foundation continues to thrive today, researching and influencing public policy issues to improve the prosperity and quality of life of westerners.
The Coril Group also continues to strive to give a voice to employees across Canada and the United States, removing the mentality of east vs west and encouraging everyone to connect with one another despite geographical differences – an effort perfectly exemplified by the Coril150 Campaign, encouraging the sharing of stories and connecting of employees across Canada and the United States.
