To the Editor,
My thoughts about our local shopping, with some history thrown in. I was prompted by recent comments in The Review (Sept. 30).
It is a lovely sentiment to long for the ‘old days’ of shopping in Vankleek Hill. Our warm memories are at the forefront, especially when faced with a world in upheaval.
Shopping changes continually.
We do not regulate family-owned local businesses. They have a right to set their hours, and to decide when to move on, or to retire. Shoppers have the right to shop where they prefer. Those are ground rules. We encourage ‘shop locally.’ We cannot demand it.
Main Street has many merchants. Currently, any new business has to buy a building, or take-over an existing business.
Here is the current flux: Main Street at Derby has one empty store front (Lalande Depanneur) in a building for sale. One house /business location for sale (former Vert Fourchette). One operating business for sale (Home Hardware). The old Banque Nationale will become home to Thrift store and Foodbank volunteers; owners of their current location have decisions to make.
Vankleek Hill has lots to be proud of. We have a Library, Firehall, Post Office, Community Centre with rink, ballfield and park! A school! We have three cafés: Broken Kettle, One Eleven, Songbird! And the best breakfast in town at long-standing Nicko’s. Hardware store and a feed store. A pharmacy, full-service grocery store and a Tim’s. Two garages, two service stations – one with a convenience store. Keep in mind the VKH volunteers who maintain the Higginson Tower, the Museum, 3 varied art galleries, and Creating Centre. An annual Ag Fair! Plus, organizers for the Town Wide Garage Sale, the May Fest, International Food Fest, and the upcoming VKH Christmas Home Tour when our population will nearly double, and vendors are ready. Plus, homegrown community indoor sales events at the Community Centre and Creating Centre.
Shopping faces constant change. It will never be ‘the same’ as ‘before’ – no matter which years our memories compare.
A few of the unexpected changes to shopping in our local history:
Our first general stores offered good terms for credit and barter – Robertson, Clark, Labrosse… People shopped often for fresh meat, greens, dairy, and bread.
Refrigeration – ice box at home. Less shopping. Specialty shops – tailors, milliners, butchers and bakers flourished.
Train service meant wider offerings at big city stores.
Catalogues. Salesmen brought catalogues and sample goods. Residents and merchants ordered from ‘Sample rooms’ at local hotels. Orders came by train.
Printing. Free cheaply-made department store catalogues arrived by mail. We remember Eaton’s Christmas catalogue.
Motor-vehicles arrived in Vankleek Hill in 1911. We can go anywhere. We haven’t looked back.
Telephone services offered long distance. From anywhere, order funeral flowers from Clare Flowers. We haven’t looked back.
Today, we live within the fury of the internet. We do look back; we know we’ve lost something. Yet, we cannot go back. Instead, we build forward to serve our community in the spirit of those old memories.
Support our family businesses! Be proud of the community initiatives that take place. Give a hand.
Michelle Landriault
Vankleek Hill
