Creemore
Echo
News and views in and around Creemore Publications Mail Agreement # 40024973
Friday, January 9, 2009
Vol 9 No. 02
Jean Smart bought the Creemore Village Pharmacy three decades ago this week.
30 YEARS AT THE VILLAGE PHARMACY by Brad Holden The first thing Jean Smart admits, when looking back on her 30 years as owner of the Creemore Village Pharmacy, is that she had some large shoes to fill the day she took over as a 30-year-old firsttime business owner. “I’m the fifth in line,” she said this week. “I bought it from Jack Heslip, of course, who had a phenomenal amount of respect in the community, and he himself followed three other gentlemen.” The first of those was W.J. Corbett, who somewhat famously moved the drugstore operation from Avening to its current location by wheelbarrow in 1878. W.J. was followed by his son H.M Corbett, who took over the store in 1937. He sold it to Albert G. Orr in 1943, who in turn sold it to Heslip in 1949. Smart has always strived to maintain a sense of that history in the store, from the wall surrounding the back door that’s adorned with memorabilia donated by the families of past owners, to the interior that’s more in touch with drugstores of the past than with today’s big, bright Shoppers’ Drug Mart clones, to the throwback “Rexall Penny Sale” that will mark Smart’s 30-year-milestone next weekend. “It’s still an old country store,” she said. “We’ve tried hard to keep it that way.” Originally from Kent County in southwestern Ontario, Smart met her husband John at university and the couple proceeded to move around quite a bit, with Jean working at several different pharmacies and John teaching in whatever town they were in. She worked in Thamesville, Ridgetown, Blenheim, Oakville and Mississauga before an ad in the Globe and Mail caught their eye. “The ad was looking for a director of pharmacy at the General & Marine Hospital in Collingwood,” remembered Jean. “I got the job and spent three years there.” (See “Smart” on page 2)
Creemore as Muse Mad & Noisy Gallery president Liz Eakins holds up some of the entries in this month’s second annual Creemore-Centric show, in which the gallery invites everyone in the community to put their impressions of Creemore on a canvas. The show, sponsored by the Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society, has its opening reception on Saturday, January 10 from 2 to 5 pm.
Echo Briefs SCI Open House for Grade 8s
Another Successful Bottle Drive Cole McArthur, Zackary Johston, Ryley Townes, Luke Whitley and Shawn Runyon had a very exciting Christmas break. After a long day on Saturday, they raised a total of $905 with their bottle drive. In six months, the boys have now raised $3,982 for new equipment at the Creemore Skateboard Park. The estimated cost of the desired equipment is $8,500. The boys are anxiously awaiting to hear from Clearview Township about their recently submitted application for a community grant of $4,250. If the grant is approved, they will be a mere $168 away from reaching their goal.
Stayner Collegiate Institute will hold its annual Open House for Grade 8 students on Wednesday, January 14 from 7 to 8:30 pm. The event is open to any student or family member who wishes to learn more about the school. There will be displays and information areas showcasing the sports teams and numerous clubs offered at SCI and Grade 8 students and their families will be able to talk to current students, athletes and staff. If students or parent/guardians have any questions about the Open House, they can call the SCI Guidance Office at 428-2639. There is an alternative snow date scheduled for Thursday, January 15 at the same time.
Rural Broadband Funding The County of Simcoe is among 15 municipalities that will receive funding to build high-speed Internet solutions in rural areas, under the provincial Rural Connections Broadband Program. The County will receive $1 million, to be used as one-third of the final cost of whatever project is undertaken. The funding was announced in late 2008.
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