Business and Philanthropy

The Pascal storefront on St. Laurent in the 1930s.

Photo Credit : Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives
Jacob Pascal in the 1910s.

Photo Credit : Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives
Arthur Pascal.

Photo Credit : Jewish Public Library - Archives

The Pascal Family

Long before anyone had ever heard of big-box warehouses or superstores, there was a Pascal Hardware in virtually every mall in town. Jacob Pascal opened a small hardware store in Montreal in 1903 and trained his sons Maxwell, Hyman, Cecil and Arthur in how to sell products and serve customers so that they’d come back again and again.

Over the course of 90 years, the chain of Pascal Hardware and Furniture Stores grew to some 26 stores in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick, and remained a family-owned business right up to the end. Pascal Furniture outfitted countless homes with fine furniture and electronics, while Pascal Hotel and Restaurant supplies provided specialized products, equipment and machinery to virtually every eatery and hotel around.

As the Pascal family grew more successful, so did their commitment to social causes, especially when it came to Jacob’s son, Arthur Pascal. Arthur had a long, accomplished association with the Jewish General Hospital, where he served as Chairman of the Building Committee and eventually as President of the hospital in the 1970s.

What’s more, he served on the Executive Committee of Allied Jewish Community Services, was Chairman of the Combined Jewish Appeal, Co-Chair of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews Quebec Region, Honorary Chairman of the Federation of Quebec Catholic Charities and Vice-Chairman of the Quebec Council of Boy Scouts of Canada. He was also the founding President of the Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal in 1971.

In recognition of his dedication to community service, Arthur Pascal received the Order of Canada in 1976. In 1985, Arthur Pascal was officially inducted into the Canadian Hardware & Housewares Industry Hall of Fame.