Hubert Corrie

Hubert Corrie, Snr was born on November 12, 1936 to Ruth and Simon Currie. He was born in a tiny hamlet of Time and Patience, St. Catherine, Jamaica. He was the second of four children. The siblings were very close. Alfred, Cyril and Florence have predeceased him in death. Corrie ( a name used by friends and family) had an adventurous spirit for travel and his Grandparents and mother had traveled to Cuba and returned to Jamaica.

Corrie’s father died at a young age. He left his wife with four young children. Corrie worked at his Grandmother’s store and would sell homemade soap and dye in the market. He realized that by cutting the soap into two equal parts, the profit margin would increase. He used his profit to buy cows, goats and ventured into real estate to buy some land in an area known as York Hill. He was too young to own property but his Grandmother signed the documents for him.

Corrie was very close to his Grandmother, Caroline and would attend the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses with her. He would assist in the construction of the Kingdom Hall which is still standing today. Corrie never forgot his early Bible education and read his Bible regularly and prayed for his family and friends.

The family continued to struggle financially. Corrie decided that he should travel to England so that he could assist his family further. He went on the ‘banana boat’ which transported bananas from Jamaica to England. His goal was to study engineering in England but this did not allow him to have money to send to his family in Jamaica. He decided to learn the Gas and Pipe Fitter trade which allowed him to send money for his Mother, Grandmother and siblings. Corrie also worked with the London Transportation for a while.

Through continued hard work and saving, Corrie was able to send for his siblings in Jamaica. He prided himself that they did not have to take the arduous journey in the ‘banana boat’ but arrived in London on an airplane. In time, Corrie met a very ambitious woman whom he later married. Her name was Mavis Wright. They had one child born in England named Ruth (Rose). Times were changing and Corrie decided that it was time to return to his homeland in the 1960’s.

Farming in Jamaica was very labour intensive work. One would have to start early in the morning and work until late in the evening. Corrie had applied for a job in Canada and he considered that a temporary job abroad would provide a financial advantage. He did not realize that this job would change his life forever.

Corrie brought some savings with him to Canada. He had a job and rented a room. One day, he decided to cook fish. The landlord objected and asked him to leave. He reported that a real estate office was nearby. He went in and informed them that he wanted to buy a house. He did not want a house with many repairs as he was not ‘handy’. He stated that they had houses for $12 thousand dollars but he opted to buy a house for $24 thousand, It was in the Dundas and Ossington area. His wife and daughter came to Canada soon thereafter.

The Gas Fitting trade provided a stable income. However, Corrie had a work-related accident as 2 tons of steel fell on him and broke his shoulder. He had several operations and could not return to his career. He was still a young man and his wife suggested that he start his own business. Corrie opened Corrie’s West Indian Store in 1972. The business boomed as Corrie’s was opened 7-days per week. Most stores did not open on Sundays. He would open late after 6pm when other stores were closed.

Corrie’s was not only a retail business but expanded to include wholesale to other businesses. He ventured into real estate by buying and selling houses. He would encourage his customers to invest in real estate.

Corrie was very interested in the members of the community. He will be remembered for offering his home to a family who were made homeless due to a train derailment in Mississauga. He was also known as the community babysitter. People would leave their child(ren) with him until they returned from job interviews. He was also interested in the youth and encouraged them to pursue their education. During a stay in the hospital, a Doctor asked whether Corrie had remembered him. Corrie did not remember him. The Doctor stated “Mr. Corrie, you used to give me a patty and a pop and other things when I was going to medical school”. The Doctor told the nurses to give Corrie whatever he wanted. These are just some fond memories.

Corrie worked for over 50 years until he had a stroke. He was forced to retire but kept his friendships. He did some traveling to Jamaica and England. He also started gardening as a hobby. He would grow some large zucchini. Although he had some health challenges, he would say, “I am not the greatest, but I am still here”.

Sadly on March 31, 2026, Corrie closed his eyes for the last time. He was a beloved Father, Grandfather, Friend and Mentor to many. He will be greatly missed by his children, Ruth, Patrick Junior (Rosemary) and Nova (Gary) and Grandchildren, Tanner and Breanna Sarah.