(Montreal) Patrick Morin, the founder of the hardware stores of the same name, died on Saturday. He was 96 years old.
Mr. Morin and his wife, Denise Benny, opened their first hardware store in Sainte-Marcelline-de-Kildare, in the Lanaudière region, in 1960.
Since then, the small “lumber yard” has grown and the chain today has 22 branches in Quebec, which have been managed by the second and third generation of the Morin family.
The renovation chain was then sold in February 2021, with the Turcotte Group becoming the majority shareholder of the company, in partnership with Home Hardware. Members of the Morin family were no longer involved in the management of the company thereafter.
“We continue to honor the values of Mr. Patrick Morin which have always been at the heart of our existence,” the company underlined in a publication on social networks on Tuesday.
She described Mr. Morin as a “pillar of the construction field in Quebec.”
In addition to his involvement in his stores, Mr. Morin was also a municipal councilor and mayor of Sainte-Marcelline-de-Kildare, where he lived all his life.
“He was a humble, hard-working, constantly active and very sociable man. A pillar of our community has just left us, but his traces will remain present in the memory of all the inhabitants of our municipality,” the municipality wrote on its social networks.
Its initial renovation center is still on 10e Rang Sud, near Principale Street.
The Economic Development Corporation of the MRC de Joliette (CDÉJ) also highlighted that Mr. Morin left his mark in the region and the Quebec economic landscape.
“His entrepreneurial legacy and commitment to the community leave an indelible mark. We salute the positive impact he had on our region and beyond,” indicated the president of the CDÉJ, Nicolas Préville-Ratelle, in a statement, hoping that the man will be a source of inspiration for generations. future.
Mr. Morin leaves to mourn his wife, Mme Benny, as well as his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A funeral will take place on December 16 at the Sainte-Marcelline-de-Kildare church. The ceremony will be broadcast simultaneously at the municipal hall.