Alma Lydia Pearl Brown-Dunbar

Alma joined the T. Eaton Company in Halifax in the late 1940’s. Throughout her work with Eaton’s, her education never stopped and over the years she completed many subsequent courses at Mount St. Vincent. The Eaton Company would pay for all the courses she passed so she took as many as she could.

Her initial boss was a Newfoundlander, Mrs. Gilleland (nickname Gille), and she learned quickly to obey orders and that the way to succeed was to make money for Eaton’s and subsequently for herself. She was soon authorized to approve / reject customer’s cheques. She looked after the trend setting “French Room” for ladies hats. She learned to dismiss staff when they were not performing but picked no favourites. When called to the office to be commended for having done well she always rejected position or titles in favour of receiving cash as a reward.

She learned to stand up for herself when lectured from above. She was fair but strict and confidently dismissed non-productive workers in her change.

As well she refused to be intimidated by superiors she recognized as less capable than she was. When promoted, she managed her ladies wear department knowing that her job was to make money and always show a healthy bottom line.

When Eaton’s moved from Barrington Street to the Halifax Shopping Centre, she wanted more money and was able to negotiate more than a 100% increase in pay. She worked longer hours than most usually closing down the store and locking the doors on her way out.

In preparing for negotiations for more salary she applied for similar work outside of Eaton’s and was accepted. She didn’t have to bluff.

Due to her long hours and hard work, she was eventually promoted to Atlantic Sales Manager over multiple departments in all Atlantic Stores (Cornerbrook, Gander, Sydney, Charlottetown, Moncton and Halifax). This meant a lot of travel because much of the work was hands-on in these locations. The longest staff training trip she went on (one month) was at the new store in Calgary.

If she found herself at odds with a store manager, she would follow his orders, but only if any financial losses realized from his directives, were charged to his accounts and not hers. In the end, before retirement, she was directly responsible for 85 employees and managed all of their personnel files, performance reviews, and hirings/firings.

Alma worked for Eaton’s for 40 years, retiring her way – she did not agree with her last store manager on very much and so would not give him her retirement notice – she when to the Toronto head office to put in her papers.

As she headed into “retirement”, she went on some short vacation trips and then got back to work for another 20+ years of volunteering her time.

She was instrumental in initially setting up and keeping St Peter’s going financially since 1951 – she was very good at raising money. Her many jobs for the church included church council, serving on the banking committee, a greeter, church warden, Eucharist Minister and as a licensed lay reader.

Her other volunteer work involved getting the Ronald McDonald House off the ground for Halifax and managed and worked there also for many years helping residents and staff. For her volunteering, she was recognized with Exceptional Service Awards in 2001 (Province), 2005 (Canada) and 2006 (City, Province).

She was also a member of the Philae Shrine Ladies Marshettes in Halifax, Shrine Ladies in Dartmouth; Eastern Valley Ladies Auxiliary; Daughters of the Nile #149; and the JW Logan Branch of the IODE.

And she did get to travel, visiting all over the globe at places she felt drawn to: Spain, England, Bahamas, Dominican Republic and many places in the US and Mexico.