The Old Corner Store

When the rest of the world moved to multi-purpose chain corner stores, parts of Nova Scotia held on to many of their old fashioned corner stores. The stores that remain are often filled with elaborate candy sections; practical items like rope, nails and tools; a deli / ice cream counter; ancient cola paraphernalia; and, the good ‘ole manual cash register.

I have fond memories of being a bicycle loving kid and gathering up the friends to bike over to the corner store for a pop. My bike was a typical 70s Canadian Tire special with 10-speeds and a chain that kept falling off.

When all the kids had gathered we would bike to the store without a helmet, bell and light; but, we made sure we all had a flowered basket, streamers, hockey cards and bread ties or bottle straw pieces carefully attached to the spokes and handle bars of our bike. Coolness was more important than safety in those days.

Once at the store we would buy a coke in the bottle (the cap was removed using the side of the big red cooler) and sit by the store entrance and drink our pop using a “stone straw” (coincidentally the same straws used on the spokes on our bikes). Then we would see who could burp the loudest or burp the furthest through the alphabet.

The store in the gallery is actually one that has been set up in a museum. It’s not necessary to go to a museum to see an old fashioned corner store because they still exist in Nova Scotia. In fact, on our trip to the South Shore we will pause at one or two along the way to get a bottled Coke, go to the washroom and pick up snacks.

Once in Mill Village we will most likely visit Laurie Mack’s store, which was the main store for the village throughout the lives of my great-grandparents and still plays a part in the community now-a-days.

It would indeed be a sad day if all the old fashioned corner stores went the way of the dodo.