G. D’Aoust & Cie store marks its 115th year
Some of Philippe D’Aoust’s fondest memories are of playing with the miniature Lionel train setup in the toy department of the G. D’Aoust & Cie department store his grandfather built on Ste-Anne St. in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue in 1900.
The spacious department store has been an institution on the town’s main drag since the advent of phone service in the area. In fact, the store was home to the town’s first telephone. The telephone number was “1.”
G. D’Aoust & Cie turns 115 years old this year and a big party is set for May 23. Lasting more than 100 years is a considerable milestone in a time when brick-and-mortar stores are closing as a result of more and more shoppers moving online to do their purchasing.
Philippe D’Aoust, 61, practically grew up in the store. He has a particularly vivid memory of the store at Christmastime when he was four years old. The interior was festooned with sparkling decorations and a throne had been set up to welcome Santa Claus, who was arriving on a fire truck.
“It was very exciting, until I spotted my brother dressing up in the Santa outfit at the back of the store,” D’Aoust said. “My belief in Santa was crushed at that moment. So when Santa arrived, I told all the kids he wasn’t the real Santa, he was my brother.”
Grandpa Guisolphe D’Aoust had the store built with an unconventional — for the time — splitlevel design. Grandma Alphonsine Dandurand, who came from a well-to-do family, supplied the $800 needed to finance the project. The split-level layout and wide staircases made for pleasant views and easy navigation of the store’s various departments.
Keeping up to date with the latest in store technology and bringing in the most elegant in fabrics, clothing and shoes was the D’Aoust way. But it was a store that went well beyond fabric and shoes.
“My grandfather’s vision was to have everything you could need in the same place,” D’Aoust said. “People would say, ‘Go to D’Aoust’s. They have everything.’ And that’s what keeps us going today. We have a large selection.”
As part of the birthday celebrations, items from the store’s past, including the magnificently-ornate original cash register, will be on display just inside the front door. The cash register was state-of the-art in 1904 — a time when the maximum amount cashiers could punch in was $99.99.
The Lamson cash-carrying system will also be functioning for the celebration. Installed in 1924, the complex system attached to the ceiling carried a customer’s cash in a small metal box to an accountant set up in a separate room where change would be made and sent back in the same box. Lightning quick.
In 1992, D’Aoust and purchasing director Diane Paquet took over from his father and uncle who had run the store for 50 years. The new owners began a long process of restoring certain elements in the 20,000-square-foot building to their original glory.
Floor tiles were removed to expose the original, gleaming hardwood floors. Drywall was removed to expose original brick. The sweeping staircase’s original banisters were polished to a sheen and the tin ceiling freshened up with a coat of paint.
Original counters and display shelves were restored and, where necessary, adapted for modern convenience. To this day, the trap door in the old freight elevator is still put to use when orders are delivered. The elevator itself, however, is no longer up to code and cannot be used.
Efforts to restore some of the store’s antique glory demonstrate a respect for its heritage, but the owners are by no means stuck in the past.
The store is on trend, with the latest in furniture (customized upon request), gourmet foods (many produced locally), the latest in kitchen gadgets and gift ideas galore. An interior designer is on site for consultations and also does home visits.
Summer is one of the store’s busiest seasons with a steady stream of boaters and tourists popping in for a look.
“We’ve been part of the economic engine in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue since the beginning,” D’Aoust said. “We want to gather together everybody who shops here for one day of celebration.”
Gift cards will soon be available online (always available in-store) and a bridal registry is in the works.
For more information about G. D’Aoust & Cie, visit www.gdaoust.com/en.