I dropped by Woolco in downtown Stratford Saturday to say goodbye to the place and the people who worked there. Being sentimental, I tend to feel a bit blue when things I like come to an end. And I liked Woolco.
But as I approached the front doors off Albert Street, I could see the place was in darkness.
A woman, who, as it turned out, had the same idea as I, was peering into the gloom of what had once been a bright, lively place, open late at night and often teeming with customers, especially on $1.44 days. We showed up too late.
Everything was gone.
“I just came by to say so long,” said the woman, as she looked over a group of snapshots of store staff that had been assembled and were taped to the big glass doors.
“Me too,” I said, and joined her in examining the photos.
I spent a lot of time in Woolco over the years – in the restaurant, the music section, the pharmacy, men’s clothing.
And while I never won a prize for top shopper of the month, I did buy a lot of things there, from meals to cards to Christmas gifts, clothes, towels, plants and records.
But the store’s main gift to me were the hours it helped me wile away on rainy and snowy days when I had time to kill at noon. And over time, I got to know a lot of the employees from one end of the building to the other, especially in the restaurant, where I often met a friend for lunch. My friend and I and the waitresses had a lot of fun, traded a lot of jokes and I’m sure none of us thought the place would ever close.
But it did close and now I stared at snapshots on a door.
I know, I know. Progress is progress and something better will come along. Right?
“There were a lot of really nice people who worked in there,” said the woman on Saturday afternoon.
“That’s for sure,” I answered.
Really nice people.
As we turned to leave, another man tried the door. He looked disappointed too.
I think a lot of us, for a while anyway, are going to miss the old place.
May the road rise up to meet all those who lost their jobs.
©1994 Jim Hagarty
