Page 10 - Special Feature.indd

PROFILES

Murray

Garlick big on

community

building

Giving back to his community is
something Murray Garlick takes very
seriously.
l
er
se
dec
ades,
or
F For several decades,
a
v
the retired Cambridge
business owner and
long-time realtor
dedicated his time
assisting the community
by volunteering for several
prominent organizations,
including the Cambridge
Chamber of Commerce.
In fact, when Murray was
In fact, when Murray was
elected president of the
elected president of the
board of the newly formed
board of the newly formed
Cambridge Chamber of
Cambridge
Chamber
of
Commerce in November of
Commerce in November of
1972 at the age of 30, he was
1972 at the age of 30, he was
y
e
the
oungest
of
l
one
s
one of the youngest leaders in the
one of the youngest leaders in the Retired business leader Murray Garlick became the first board president of the newly
ader

Chamber movement provincewide. created Cambridge Chamber of Commerce in 1973.
C
hamber mo
ement pr
ewide
o
.
Chamber movement provincewide.
v
vinc
y
ll
actua
pr
ogether
“It
“It actually melded together pretty “We have a lot of hard work of Marshall Insurance Brokers Limited
“It actually melded together pretty
ded
mel
y
t
ett
“W
ot
of
of
l
l
ot
d
work
work
har
har
d
ha
ha
v
“W
e
e
a
a
e
v
e
well,” he says of the organization which
well , ” he sa y s of the or ganization which ahead of us, but we’re convinced and later BGM Financial) proposed the
well,” he says of the organization which
ahead of us, but we’re convinced
ame
int
officially came into being two months
c
officia
ll
y
being
two
months
o
officially came into being two months that we have a vital and important role group insurance plan.”
that we have a vital and important role
later when Galt, Preston and Hespeler to play in the new City of Cambridge.”
amalgamated Jan. 1, 1973. “There was a fair He says having that plan significantly
bit of diversification on the board. We had He had already been an active boosted the Chamber’s membership,
lawyers, retail, and commercial reps which was member of the former Galt Chamber which up until that time consisted
healthy.” for four years prior serving as its primarily of retail businesses.
retail committee chairman and vice-
This new business organization, created president, so he was more than “It became attractive for different
through the merger of the Galt and Preston familiar with the Chamber world. industries to now join the Chamber
Chambers of Commerce and the Hespeler in order to get in on the plan,” says
Retail Merchants Association, consisted of 24 Murray also brought a wealth Murray, noting that many retail
board members including vice-presidents and of business knowledge to the businesses began to suffer when the
members from all three of these organizations, organization where he would serve as John Galt Mall (now the Cambridge
among them the late Bert Boone, a local board president for two terms - in 1973 Centre) opened in 1973. “It was very
councillor and realtor, and Bob MacDonald, and from 1983 to 1984. viable in downtown Galt. The stores
who owned McDonald Steel Ltd. in Preston. “It was sometimes a hard sell. A lot were all full and at one time, there
“I welcome the responsibility of leading a people would ask ‘Why do I need the were six or seven menswear stores.”
To keep that momentum going, he
team of such outstanding calibre,” Murray was Chamber of Commerce?’,” he says, also played a key role in establishing
quoted in the media at the time in 1972. referring to those early days. “But the
thing that really brought the Chamber the Downtown Cambridge Business
together was when Art Mosey (formerly Improvement Area (BIA) in 1976.
10 Spring 2024 www.cambridgechamber.com