‘When you come into the store it’s like time has stopped’

There’s something special about the general stores, or country stores, that used to dot the Townships landscape. Locals remember the days when these businesses served as the center of a community and a one-stop-shop for small villages. From fresh fruit and vegetables to freshly cut meat and hardware, you could always be sure of finding what you needed; including a sense of belonging. There are still a few general stores left in the Eastern Townships, including three in the area that many have come to know and love: Wright’s General Store, F.G. Edwards Inc, and Jewett’s General Store. The owners of Wright’s General Store and F.G. Edwards Inc are currently in the process of selling while the Jewett’s General Store continues to be run by the same family. To highlight these special pieces of our history, we thought we would take a trip down memory lane. Wright’s General store has been serving the Fulford community since 1964 when Hugh Wright purchased the building from well-known entrepreneur Oscar Davis. “My dad traded a farm in West Bolton for the store,” said Robert Wright, current owner of the store. “My dad didn’t want anything to do with the business. It was for my mom, she was bored up in West Bolton.” As the youngest of three kids, Wright was introduced to the business early on. “I stayed with my mom and did the store work and my dad sent my two brothers to work on the farm. I stocked shelves, I watched the cash register, all those things.”
He remembers the days when the community depended on Wright’s General Store for their needs. “My dad would deliver around 12 full grocery orders a day to the community. It was their whole week’s groceries. They didn’t shop anywhere else, we supplied everything and their weekly needs.” See full story in the March 10 edition of the Brome County News.