The Paris Independent
14
November 11, 2023
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT Nearly 90 years of downtown entrepreneurship comes to an end Three generations of Toughs operate downtown hardware shop from 1936 - 2017 By Casandra Turnbull While many downtown cores across Canada struggle to remain relevant and vibrant in the face of rapid growth, Paris' main artery is full of evolution which continues to blossom with every new business that opens shop. Yet it's not just the new additions that draw tourists and shoppers from all around, it's the steadfast entrepreneurs with ties to Paris' earliest days that bring the real depth and validity to our downtown.
the property that was full - literally and figuratively - of a lifetime of memories. While it was a sound personal decision for the Toughs, lifelong Parisians watched anxiously as the sold signs went up in the windows of the former Tough & Son Properties located on the corner of Grand River Street North and Mechanic Street. Outweighing the solemnity of the situation was a natural curiosity of what is next for this historic storefront? "I'm looking forward to seeing what they will do, how they will make the building better and make downtown better," said Sheila Tough.
This past September a big chapter in Paris' historic core came to a quiet close. After nearly 90 years of business, passed through three generations of family members, Bill & Sheila Tough bid adieu to They, being Losani Homes, the
newest owners of the cornerstone building, adjacent to the cenotaph since the early 1900s. While neither Bill or Sheila know exactly what the future holds for the building, both are happy to see it will live on to continue to grow with Paris. The Toughs recall the process of selling, saying while they were quite likely a tiny spec on Losani's radar, to them the sale was monumental. Three generations of Toughs built a legacy there. Like most things in life, it's hard to break pattern and let go of the known, but it was time, said Bill, who always knew he didn't want to be a residential landlord by the time he was 70 years old. Cont’d on page 15
William W. Tough in front of W.M. tough Hardware circa 1940s. Above, The Tough & Son Properties once Bill and Sheila took over ownership. Photos courtesy of Bill & Sheila Tough
