Filled to the brim with groceries and clothing, these stores had so much more to offer. They were the centre of the community, where people told stories, shared news and advice, and even borrowed money. In General Stores of Canada: Merchants and Memories, Rae Fleming explores our relationship with the general store, once an institution at the heart of every Canadian town. Indeed, many towns and cities were first established by a store, Quebec and Vancouver among them. The book explores the eclectic architecture of general stores, and it ponders their history, from the barter of butter and eggs to the occasional murder.
Richly illustrated with over 300 photos from general stores across the country, the book offers a nostalgic trip back to products such as J.T. Swyers' ''Tasteless'' cod liver oil, and inventions such as Lydia Pinkham's compound cure for ''All Female and Kidney complaints.'' And there in Fleming's stories, squeezed between rubber boots and the kegs of nails, you will hear the whispers of rumour and legend, revealing the humour and the truth about who we once were.
