Vineberg Family fonds
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn107502
- Collection
- Vineberg Family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Fonds No.
- I0240
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of one pamphlet on the history of the Larocque's store, written by Robert Vineberg in September 2021.
- Collection
- Vineberg Family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of one pamphlet on the history of the Larocque's store, written by Robert Vineberg in September 2021.
- Fonds No.
- I0240
- Storage Location
- Individual Files
- History / Biographical
- The following information comes from a number of typed pages of information from Harris Vineberg (Chiam Nachman Vineberg), who wrote a family history in 1935: The name Vineberg is of German origin but the Vineberg family itself does not have any definite information to say that their ancestors were from there. However, Harris himself knew that his own grandfather (Solomon Vineberg), and father, did business in German exporting lumber and flaxseed (linseed). These men used to ship their goods out of a summer port in a city in Poland called Kovna. Solomon Vineberg (b.1799 - d. 1869) was married to a very strong woman named Tzimka (Tzimka Vineberg). As Harris described it, she must have been very popular because her husband and her brothers went by her name. Even in the 1930's Harris says you could still find people who called themselves Yankel Simkis, or Abraham Simkis, referring to her as a matriarch. Solomon and Tzimka had four children: Leah Vineberg, Elijah Vineberg, Eleazer Vineberg (or Lazarus Vineberg), and Chia Nacha Vineberg. Eleazer / Lazarus was Harris' father. His mother was Naloa Vineberg. They had at one point eleven children - seven sons and four daughters. The youngest was Rebecca who died at the age of two, but all ten others lived to adulthood. The eldest was Samuel Vineberg, then Hyman Vineberg, Malcom Vineberg, Israel Vineberg, Harris Vineberg, Shayna Rachel Vineberg (name only written in Hebrew, could be incorrect), Dvorah Vineberg (name only written in Hebrew, could be incorrect), Lyon Vineberg, Archie Vineberg, Charles Vineberg, Hattie Vineberg. When Tzimka died, Solomon couldn't bring himself to marry again even though he was young. He focused his attentions thereafter on his youngest daughter and when she passed away at a young age he became very broken up. He passed away in 1869 at age 70. Harris came to Montreal in 1872 after being smuggled out of Lithuania. His three older brothers had already left the same way and when he was 15 it came to be his own turn. He dressed in girl's clothing and a sympathetic Lithuanian friend drove him by horse and cart over the border and into Germany. He was delivered over to a fair-haired German man and he climbed into the man's cart after changing out of the girl's clothing. The man took him to his own house where the man's wife made him warm and comfortable. Two days later the German man had taken him to Hamburg where he was put on a ship traveling to Canada. On the ship, Harris shared a cabin with 16 year old boy who mocked him for praying with his talit (prayer shawl) and phylacteries. The next day he rose very early and prayed in a quiet corner on the top deck. Unknown to him, the Captain of the ship was watching him. When the Captain asked him what he was doing Chaim explained, and then the man insisted he start sharing his own cabin. So he spent the rest of the trip living in the Captain's quarters. He disembarked in Montreal and soon thereafter, he entered into various business ventures with moderate success until he established H. Vineberg & Co. in 1892. Clothing manufactured by this Montreal firm under its "Progress" brand label, was well received by the public. Mr. Vineberg was an active member in the Montreal Jewish community and its benevolent associations, including the Baron de Hirsch Institute. (See notes field about this section) Harris' son (??) was Joseph H. Vineberg of Montreal who helped to start the Larocque Department Store, Ottawa's only francophone department store, on the corner of Rideau and Dalhousie. Joseph and his wife were living in Montreal before they moved to Ottawa in 1931. The store seems to have been started by a man named J. Alphonse Larocque in 1923. In 1931/1932 Joseph Vineberg seems to have come in from Montreal to take over as manager. In 1933 Joseph is then listed as Owner and Director. He continued in this capacity until 1967, when other family members took over. The store was closed in 1971. The building that housed the store was originally built as the headquarters of the R.C.M.P. before it became Laroque's. It was added to in 1930 at first by W. E. Noffke, and then renovated and expanded greatly by Barry Padolsky Associates Inc. Architects from 1989 to 1993 and as of 2014 it is still known as Mercury Court. Features include the "flying Mercury" weathervane which adorned the Sun Life Insurance Building at Bank and Sparks Streets from 1898 until 1949. Joseph's wife was Frances Vineberg (nee Frances Levy) (b. England, 1889 - d. Ottawa, July 21, 1957). They had three children together: Lita-Rose Vineberg (married Irving Betcherman - October 6, 1946), Nordau Vineberg, Lloyd Vineberg (b. 1916 - d. Ottawa, March 12, 2001).
- Notes
- 1. From Lloyd Vineburg's obituary: Following a brief illness Lloyd passed away on Monday, March 12, 2001 at the age of 85. He will be remembered for a lifetime of devotion to his family and service to his community. Lloyd was educated at Queen's University (B.Comm) and Harvard University (M.B.A.) following which he joined the family business, Larocque Department Store. At the outbreak of WWII he joined the RCAF, where he rose to the rank of Squadron Leader. After the war, he returned to Larocque's, which his father had now entrusted to him and his brother, Nordau. He soon became deeply involved in Community Affairs. He was a member of the Ottawa Board of Trade (Chairman of the Dept. Store Group); Better Business Bureau of Ottawa (President 1965); Kiwanis Club of Ottawa (President 1958 - 1959); Chairman, Community Chest (United Way) Annual Campaign (1957); Director, United Way of Ottawa- Carleton (President 1964 - 1966); founding member, Granite Curling Club of West Ottawa (President 1958 - 1959); member, Governor- General's Curling Club; member, Advisory Vocational Committee of the Ottawa Collegiate Board (1963 - 1965); founding trustee, Riverside Hospital of Ottawa (Vice-Chairman of the Board 1964 - 1969 and 1975 - 1979, Chairman of the Board 1969 - 1975); Director, Canadian Hospital Association; Director, Ontario Hospital Association; Director, Canadian Council on Hospital Accreditation (Chairman 1976 - 1978); member, Ottawa Area Legal Aid Committee (1975 - 1985); and the Riverside Hospital Foundation (Chairman 1982 - 1984). Lloyd is predeceased by his dear wife, Betty (1992) whom he married in 1940. He is survived by his sons Peter and Robert (Patricia), his grandchildren Noah, Daniel and Andrew Vineberg and Anthony McNally and his sister Lita-Rose Betcherman (Irving). Also predeceased by his brother Nordau. Lloyd's friends are invited to join his family in a Celebration of his life on Saturday, March 17, 2001 at 1:00 p.m. at the Amberwood Golf and Country Club (54 Springbrook Drive, Stittsville). If so desired, in memory of Lloyd, donations to the United Way of Ottawa- Carleton (106 Colonnade Road N., Nepean,) would be appreciated. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Cole Funeral Services. Ottawa Citizen, March 14, 2001 2. The family history of the Vinebergs located within the collection is much more extensive than repeated here. 3. In the book, "Canada's Jews: A People's Journey" by Gerald Tulchinsky, on page 95 there is a very small line that states that Harris Vineberg was once a peddler in the Ottawa Valley, before he started his clothing business in Montreal in 1882, manufacturing men's and boy's suits under the "Progressive Brand Co." The Archives, however, has not seen any other mentions of Harris ever having lived in Ottawa for a time after he arrived in Montreal off the boat from Europe.
- Note regarding Joseph H. Vineberg: A email was recieved stating that this portion of history does not belong with this family. "Chaim Vineberg was NOT the father of anyone connected with Laroque's. Shulim/SAMUEL VINEBERG was the father of Joseph Hirsh Vineberg, grandfather of Lloyd Vineberg and great-grandfather of Robert Vineberg who lives in Winnipeg" This will need to be further investigated and updated.
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Ottawa Jewish Archives
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