What’s old is new again
Elsie’s store in Central New Annan being brought back to life by the Benoits
It seems Sherril Benoit will need a steady supply of goodies at her new convenience store in Central New Annan to satisfy the sweet tooth in all of us.
“Penny candy is going to be the in-thing there,” laughs Sherril, who along with her husband Pierre are owners of Elsie’s 2.0 Corner Store on the Kennedy Hill Road.
“I was surprised when I first put Elsie’s on Facebook and that’s what resonated through the comments, was penny candy. And then I said, ‘well, give me suggestions on penny candy.’ Well, holy cow, I’m gonna have to put an extension on the store!”
Sherril and Pierre retired to Nova Scotia in 2014 after living in Ontario and Quebec and built a house on the Balmoral Road. Feeling the community was missing a spot where local residents could pick up necessary products without having to travel to the nearest town, the couple went ahead with a plan to open a convenience store just around the corner from their home.
“I wanted to create an opportunity where people would be able to come in and purchase their everyday household items and feel safe and welcome in a store and wouldn’t have to travel 20 kilometres round-trip to go down and pick up a loaf of bread and quart of milk, so that’s how that came about, and we said, ‘why not?’”
The store’s opening date is mid-June (as of press time).
The store’s name is a tribute to a well-known and wellrespected former convenience store owner in the community – Elsie Langille. Elsie (nee Tratt) married Alton Langille, owner of the A.M. Langille general store, in 1967 and together they ran the business until Alton’s death in 1971. Elsie continued to operate the place – known by locals simply as Elsie’s – until it was damaged by fire in 1987.
“Elsie kind of came to me one morning … it just popped in my head – Elsie’s 2.0,” Sherril said of choosing the store’s name, which is also special because Sherril’s parents became good friends with Elsie after her family moved from Halifax to Tatamagouche in 1970.
Elsie’s 2.0 has created a buzz on social media, says Sherril, as local residents are thrilled to have a new store in their community.
“They’re pretty excited about it. They’re really looking forward to having the convenience store next door, and I want to keep the products at an affordable price so they will come and do their necessary shopping, and whatever they can’t find I will get it for them.”
Elsie’s will carry locally sourced foods, including meat from Armstrong Food Service, and coffee from Just Us coffee roasters. Across from Elsie’s is a public space with flower beds, a new arbor and picnic tables, where customers can relax and enjoy their coffee or ice cream. There will also be about 80 feet of cut flowers that will be available for a donation, which will go toward the upkeep of the garden. The store itself is a 14-by-40-foot building constructed by Old Hickory Buildings of Canada (Waugh’s River Buildings Inc.).
“It turned out just exactly like I envisioned,” says Sherril.
Sherril says she is excited about the new business venture and is happy to be offering a valuable service to her community.
“Because corner stores are the heart and anchor of any community and it’s a common place for people to meet and have a chat and go about their business and that’s what we want to create.”
Sherril attended university in Sudbury, Ont. During her working career, she managed a clothing store and later co-founded a palliative care organization in Quebec. Pierre enjoyed a long career in the mining industry. They are both past-presidents of the North Shore Senior Citizens Association. The couple raised three children – Julia, Pierre-Paul and Richard – and have four grandchildren.
* Historical information used from a story by Ellen Millard, published in The Light on July 20, 2011.