Born in 1932, in the house his grandfather built in 1900, Roy McGillivray learned early the importance of family roots.
It was a family farm that McGillivray was able to witness a lot of changes while growing up.

"In 1938, my dad bought a new Fordson tractor, it was the first year rubber tires were standard equipment. Until that time, farmers would cut and weld rims to the steel wheels to covert to rubber tires," McGillivray said.
That wasn't the only incredible thing he witnessed. In 1939, his dad bought a new IHC combine for the total price of $997 including delivery to the farm in the Glendale District. A far cry from today's $500,000 combines.
"Grain tanks back then only held 25 bushels of grain. I farmed with my dad until 1950 and was the caretaker at the Glendale School. That's when my luck really began. I always say I'm in the right place at the right time, and I sure was," McGillivary said.

That's when he met his wife Joan who came to teach at the school. They were married one year later on Aug. 11, 1951.
McGillivray continued to farm when his parents moved into Neepawa and Joan continued teaching at Glendale, as well as Hazelwood.
"We were able to rent an extra quarter-section of land, giving us three quarter-sections. In 1953, we bought the first square baler in our district and developed our first business venture of custom baling for the price of ten-cents a bale," McGillivray said.

Another testament of being in the right place at the right time was in July of 1959. McGillivray was contacted by Clarence Sedgewick, he was needing a square dance caller at a barn dance west of Minnedosa.
"I ended up calling square dances at Glendale, Hallboro, Hazelwood, Dauphin, Franklin, and was the president of the Neepawa Square Dance Club for many years. It was that first night though near Minnedosa that during the severe thunderstorm I was approached by Wilfred Sandstrom, the local auctioneer, whom I knew from Joan teaching at Hazelwood. He asked for help at an auction sale," McGillivray said.

Even though McGillivray knew very little about auctioneering, he decided to try it, and there he was on Oct. 6, 1959 selling small items from a hay rack while Wilf had lunch.

"I was paid after the sale and I didn't hear from him again until he drove into my farm yard in February 1960 with a piece of paper. It read Sandstrom and McGillivray Auction Service.

“He told me he was going to put the ad in The Neepawa Press and we would split everything 50-50. I accepted," McGillivray said.
Auctioneering and a sales job with Wm. Whitmore Ltd. New Holland became a big part of McGillivray's life.

In 1962, Joan and McGillivray purchased property in Neepawa and built a new home where they still reside today.
With their daughter Laurie participating in figure skating since the age of five, McGillivray decided to take an active role in her skating club.
"I enjoyed it, I don't remember much now to be honest, but she loved skating and I wanted to be a part of it," McGillivray said.

When approached by the owner of the New Holland franchise McGillivray worked at to purchase the business, meeting were had and almost everything in place, until another offer arrived.

"I was waiting for my car to be fueled up with gas for another meeting with New Holland for the takeover at Angus A. McDougall Ltd. where he called me into his office. He asked me if I would like to sell cars along with my auction business. It sounded like a perfect fit with no investment as it tied in well with my auction service. So I said yes," McGillivray said.
It was McDougall that brought McGillivray into the Rotary club where he still has an active role today.
"In 1967, it was mine and Sandstrom's busiest year, we had over 80 auction sales. We were involved in changing the rural landscape faster than ever before and didn't know it. Land prices had gone up for a number of reasons.
An individual had moved into the district and was buying land at above average prices. The Springhill Colony started in 1961 and the Arden Hutterite Colony was expanding. In 1967 alone, we left approximately 50 family yard sites empty for the bulldozer," McGillivray said.
The next business venture for McGillivray was opening a store on Mountain Avenue in Neepawa in August of 1970.
"We called it the Neepawa Auction Centre. This is when I stopped selling cars as time just did not permit. Sadly, in 1971, Wilfred Sandstrom entered the Brandon Hospital for a normal operation and passed away a few days later. I carried on by myself for another seven years. It was the Rotary Auction that was my last, and it was 20 years to the day, Oct. 6, 1979 that I had done my very first auction sale," McGillivray said.
In 1978, McGillivray renovated the store he owned and changed the name to Neepawa Furniture Centre. The sign that was put up then, is still on the front of the store now.
After being approached by Walter Zeke and Laurence Hargraves to run for council, McGillivray decided it was a good plan. He was elected for a three-year term in 1983 and re-elected for two terms after.
"I ran for mayor in 1992 and was elected. It was a great experience," McGillivray said.

The year of 1998 was a memorable time for McGillivray by being a part of the twinning of two places, the Town of Neepawa and Cuidad Guizman in Mexico.
"I went on a trade mission with the Filmon Government to Guadalajara. I was escorted by two motorcycle policeman to Cuidad Guizman. The entire bus tour was centered around me, I felt like royalty. I signed the papers for intent to twin the two towns during a large ceremony with about 35 people from the trade mission. I was wined and dined all day. It was the next day that my term as mayor expired. What a way to end 15 years of municipal politics," McGillivray said.

In the summer of 1999, McGillivray was given another task. He was appointed by the Filmon government to study the effects on small businesses after the severe flooding that took place in southwestern and southeastern Manitoba in 1997.
"There were a lot of effects, It's too bad that we were never able to give the final results of the task force as the provincial election of Gary Doer's NDP government defeated the Filmon government," McGillivray said.

In 2000, McGillivray's second child, Roger took over the family furniture store, allowing him to retire.

Although his life was full of excitement and new things, flowers are where he finds a lot of happiness and joy.

"Joan and I love our flowers. Its good exercise, we do it for our own pleasure. We travel a lot, we prefer to drive, we especially like going to visit Laurie in Vancouver," McGillivray said.

The next thing on his “to-do” list is their 60th wedding anniversary next year.

"We are really looking forward to it. We are always in things together, always do things together, let's see what else comes our way," McGillivray said.