Halifax Seed Company

Halifax Seed Company
Company typeLimited company
IndustryGardening
Founded1866 (1866) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Area served
Atlantic Canada
Key people
Tregunno family
ProductsSeeds, gardening and landscaping supplies
Number of employees
75 (2013)
Websitewww.halifaxseed.ca

The Halifax Seed Company is a Canadian company specializing in seeds and garden supplies. The company was founded in 1866 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is the oldest continuously operating family-owned seed company in Canada.

History

Halifax Seed was founded in 1866 on the Halifax Waterfront.[1] Following the Halifax Explosion in 1917, the company relocated to Granville Street.[1][a] In 1919, the company was purchased from J. Frank Crowe by D. G. Stewart.[3] In 1925, Halifax Seed was purchased by Fred Tregunno,[4] and in 1928 the company expanded their operations with the purchase of the Colley building on Granville Street.[5] Tregunno owned the company up until his death in 1960, leaving the company to his sons Warren and Paul Tregunno.[1] In 1948, Halifax Seed purchased the Carter Seed Company based in Charlottetown.[6] The company's operations in Halifax were later relocated to Kane Street after the establishment of the Historic Properties in the late 1960s.[1]

Warren Tregunno's son Tim became owner of the company in the 1980s.[7] Tim was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, subsequently forming an advisory board in 2010 to plan for succession.[8] He died on 25 February 2012, at the age of 55. After he died, the company was owned by his wife Nancy and her brother Mike Barclay, who was part-owner of the company since 1983.[8]

In 2013, CBC News reported that Halifax Seed was the subject of a diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks in the Kissinger cables. The unclassified cable referred to Halifax Seed as a "well established, reputable firm. Should be worthwhile trading partner for U.S. companies".[9]

Halifax Seed closed their retail store during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and shifted to online sales. With decreased demand from commercial greenhouse operators, the company began selling more small greenhouse kits to homeowners.[10]

In 2025, Halifax Seed partnered with the K.C. Irving Environmental Sciences Centre and the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens at Acadia University to preserve two native plants: the Cutleaf Coneflower and the Joe-Pye Weed. The company offered seeds for the plants as a limited-time sale, with one dollar from each sale supporting student research at the environmental sciences centre.[11]

Halifax Seed is operated by Emily Tregunno and her sister Alison as of 2018, making it the oldest continuously operating family-owned seed company in Canada. The company received the Family Enterprise of the Year Award from the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise.[12]

Products and locations

Halifax Seed offers seeds, gardening and landscaping materials, golf course supplies, and equipment for professional growers.[8] The company employs 75 people as of 2013,[8] and has two retail locations: one in Halifax, and the other in Saint John, New Brunswick.[12]

The company opened their Saint John location in 1957. Before this, they sold their products through the National Packing Company on Union Street; after National Packing ceased operations, Halifax Seed established their presence in Saint John on Main Street. In 1982, Halifax Seed moved to a new 3,000 sq ft (280 m2) wholesale and retail location on Rothesay Avenue, with the grand opening marking 25 years of the company's presence in the city.[13]

Notes

  1. ^ Halifax Seed leased the building at 166 Granville Street prior to the Halifax Explosion.[2]

References

Citations

Sources

  • [Dignity Memorial] (2012). "Timothy Warren Tregunno" (Obituary). JA Snow Funeral Home. Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  • [The Evening Mail] (27 January 1911). "1911 catalogue Halifax Seed Co., Ltd". The Evening Mail. Halifax, NS. p. 6. Retrieved 3 September 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  • [The Evening Mail] (16 July 1919). "Halifax Seed Company changes hands". The Evening Mail. Halifax, NS. p. 6. Retrieved 2 September 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  • [The Evening Mail] (2 August 1928). "Seed company buys building". The Evening Mail. Halifax, NS. p. 15. Retrieved 2 September 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  • [The Evening Mail] (17 February 1930). "Introducing young business leaders: Fred Tregunno". The Evening Mail. Halifax, NS. p. 12. Retrieved 2 September 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  • Mott, Sean; Foley, Brianne (9 April 2025). "Halifax company, Acadia University working together to save native seeds". CTV News. Nova Scotia: Bell Media. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  • Palmeter, Paul (25 March 2020). "Seed company sprouts new business during COVID-19 outbreak". CBC News. Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  • [Saint John Times Globe] (15 April 1982). "Halifax Seed opens brand new store". Saint John Times Globe. p. 10. Retrieved 2 September 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  • [Saint John Times Globe] (15 June 2001). "The Halifax Seed Company: A Canadian tradition". Saint John Times Globe. p. 35. Retrieved 2 September 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  • Smith, Beverley (28 January 2013). "Halifax Seed Company is a rare tale of family business survival". The Globe and Mail. Toronto: The Woodbridge Company. Retrieved 2 September 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  • [Telegraph-Journal] (28 January 1911). "Halifax Seed Company in new quarters". Telegraph-Journal. p. 14. Retrieved 3 September 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  • Withers, Paul (8 April 2013). "Halifax Seed in U.S. cable released by Wikileaks". CBC News. Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  • Zienkiewicz, Marc (7 May 2018). "Emily Tregunno knows how to battle big-box stores". Seed World Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  • Halifax Seed Company fonds, ID: MS-4-21. Halifax, NS: Dalhousie University Archives, Dalhousie University. OCLC 229204727.
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