‘Used to be the hub of the community’
Store owner calling it a day after 28 years
Paul Hatt is retiring with mixed emotions.
For Hatt, retirement not only marks the end of his career but also the closure of a place that’s become a home away from home – the Lakeville General Store.
“I’ve met a lot of friends and know a lot of people. It’s something I wouldn’t have done working somewhere else,” the 65-year-old said.
“I’ll miss the people that I deal with and probably the regular routine.”
Hatt opened the store 28 years ago, leaving a job as a parts manager for a local car dealership to focus his attention on running the general store.
“When I first started, between Canning and Berwick on this highway and just going into Centreville off the 221, I think there was 18 outlets for gas. Now there’s three, soon to be two,” said Hatt, who still pumps the gas for his fuel customers.
Hatt remembers a time when his shop was one of about 10 general stores lining Highway 221 from Berwick to Canning.
“They used to be the hub of the community, but so did the two room schoolhouse and the local church,” he said.
The store opened at a time when the small rural community, located about five kilometres north of Coldbrook, had more local workers.
“There was still a lot of farm help around, which were more dependent on the local store as opposed to young professionals,” said Hatt.
“You just don’t have the same clientele that I had many years ago.”
Hatt’s store has weathered its fair share of economic challenges brought on by technological advancements and the development of large chain retail outlets and grocery stores in nearby New Minas.
“As product disappears there hasn’t been a new trend to replace it,” he said, listing movie rentals as an example.
In the early days, groceries and movie rentals were key draws and suppliers had to compete for his business.
“Now that they’ve been bought out by two major groups the buying power is not there,” the Lakeville resident said.
“Stock has changed a lot – less groceries and more hardware. That’s what there was demand for. It was quick to come in and pick up five pounds of screws and those types of items I could be competitive on.”
But Hatt takes it all in stride.
“Like most small businesses, sometimes the cash flow isn’t what it could be ... but, in saying that, I never had any money when I worked for somebody else either,” he joked.
“I’ve been able to give employment to high school kids, including my daughters. It’s been good experience for them.”
It means a lot when faithful customers say they’ll miss having the store around, Hatt said.
Having lived in the community since he married his wife 43 years ago, Hatt will miss seeing familiar faces at the Lakeville General Store.
That said, he’s ready to call it a day and find new ways to pass the time in his retirement.
“The time has come.”