Bickles to throw 100th birthday bash
One of the oldest businesses in Niagara Falls is throwing itself a 100th birthday party this month.
Bickles Hardware on Main Street will celebrate the century mark Aug. 24 with live music, car displays, family activities and a grand unveiling of its new storefront. The event goes from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will see Main Street closed from Ferry to Peer streets to accommodate all the activities.
Located in a modest, non-descript building on Ferry Street, next to the farmers market and future cultural hub, the business was established in 1919 by Harry Bickle, who moved to Niagara Falls after operating a lumber mill company in Saskatchewan. Its original name was Bickles Main Industrial Supply Inc.
The store had a hand in major Niagara projects such as the Welland Canal and the Garden City Skyway over the years.
Bickle passed the business onto his son Henry in 1955, which saw the name changed to H.W. Bickle Co. Current owner Victor DeCaria bought the business in 2007, changing the name to Bickles Hardware.
“This is our chance to re-introduce Bickles Hardware to our neighbours and customers of the next 100 years,” DeCaria said.
The store specializes in “industrial-commercial clients and contractors,” he added. It’s also why the back entrance is more of a front entrance, because “clients generally don’t arrive by foot or in a small car.”
The new storefront will symbolize the “working shoulder-toshoulder” motto of the store.
“People will have no problem finding Bickles on Main Street after this,” said DeCaria. “At the same time, it’s also symbolic of the Main and Ferry area, the historic cultural and business hub of the community.”
The birthday party will include an employee reunion, demonstrations by the award-winning 1114 Simbotics team, and an appearance by the T800 Terminator.
Vendors from across North America will also take part in the festivities, including Bosch, Pioneer, Apex and StrongArm.
The day will also include a draw for a 2019 Toyota Tundra. The winner will be announced at 5:30 p.m.