Marie Penny ( 1970), also spelled Penney, was a Canadian businesswoman who owned and operated one of the largest frozen-fish companies in Newfoundland during the 20th century. She operated John Penny & Sons in

Ramea Ramea is a small village in Newfoundland and Labrador located on Northwest Island, one of a group of five major islands located off the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The island is approximately 3.14 km long by 0.93 km wide (1.95 ...

from 1949 until her death in 1970, becoming known locally as "Queen of the Coast", and in 1967 she was the first female president of the

Fisheries Council of Canada Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

. Her husband,

George Penny George Joseph Penny (October 24, 1897 – December 4, 1949) was one of Newfoundland's first three members of the Senate of Canada who were appointed on August 17, 1949, shortly after the province joined Canadian confederation. He was the operato ...

, briefly served as one of the first Newfoundland members of the

Canadian Senate The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...

Early life

Marie Penny was born Marie Smart near

Notre Dame Bay Notre Dame Bay is a large bay in Newfoundland, Canada. To the south it adjoins the Bay of Exploits. The name, French for '' Our Lady Bay'', dates to at least 1550, and is possibly a French translation of an earlier Portuguese name. Trump Island ...

, Newfoundland. She lived in

Port aux Basques Channel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland fronting on the western end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point ont ...

before her marriage.

Marriage and career

Marie married

, also known as John, who had recently inherited his family's fishing business, John Penny & Sons, at the village of

. Although John Penny & Sons was not doing well at the time of her marriage, Marie Penny began to play a central role in strengthening and directing the business. In recognition of changing times, she encouraged the company's transition from

salted fish Salted fish, such as kippered herring or dried and salted cod, is fish cured with dry salt and thus preserved for later eating. Drying or salting, either with dry salt or with brine, was the only widely available method of preserving fish unt ...

to fresh fish products, utilizing new freezing-plant technology. By 1948, business was booming, and Penny made a donation of $25,000 to the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' ...

, which at the time was considering her husband for a candidacy in the upcoming federal election. In August 1949, George Penny was elected to Senate as a Liberal member, one of the first three Canadian Senate members from Newfoundland, but he died unexpectedly three months later while in Ottawa. After her husband's death, Marie Penny took full control of the business, assisted by her daughter Margaret. At the time, she had a fleet of ten fishing vessels and one supermarket. By the end of her career, she had directed the operations of two fishing companies, three fishing plants, and multiple retail stories. John Penny & Sons became one of the largest frozen-fish companies in Newfoundland, and received a number of substantial loans from the provincial government. Penny had several nicknames locally, including "Queen of the Fishing Fleet", "Queen of the Coast" and "Queen of the Ramea". She was once invited by the

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, t ...

to meet

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

at a dinner at

Rideau Hall Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and their representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main b ...

, an event which she considered one of the highlights of her life. Although it was common for merchant families in Newfoundland to live in the larger city of St. John's, Penny continued living at Ramea for the rest of her life. She entertained guests in her house and served Spanish sherry imported by her own ships. In 1967, Penny became the first female president of the

, a national organization of Canadian fishing companies. Canadian author

Farley Mowat Farley McGill Mowat, (May 12, 1921 – May 6, 2014) was a Canadian writer and environmentalist. His works were translated into 52 languages, and he sold more than 17 million books. He achieved fame with the publication of his books on the Can ...

once met Penny during a visit to Ramea, and later wrote about the encounter in his book ''Bay of Spirits'' (2006).

Death

Penny died in 1970. After her death, Penny's daughter Margaret took over the company, operating it until John Penny & Sons was absorbed into Fishery Products International in 1982.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Penny, Marie 1970 deaths Businesspeople from Newfoundland and Labrador 20th-century Canadian businesswomen