This story appeared in More of Our Canada Magazine.
Royal Lake Store was a country store located twelve miles west of Leask, Saskatchewan. Built by Hungarian immigrants in the 1930s, it closed in 1956.
The Hubs’ grandmother made these purchases at Royal Lake Store in 1945. All the items aren't legible, but it looks like her purchase included onions, coffee, cheese, sardines, sausage and bread. My mother-in-law could buy two chocolate bars for five cents at the store when she was a kid in the 30s. She had never seen candy before and didn't know what to do with it.
During those years, a family was living on every quarter section of land. Travel into town was lengthy and difficult, so there was a definite need for the services a country store provided. Gas pumps installed further met the needs of the community. Travellers on their way to Emerald Lake often stopped for gas and groceries.
The building was approximately 24 x 30 feet in size with cedar shingles and wood siding. It was painted a cream colour with green trim. Inside, the walls were plastered then calcimined (whitewashed).
A tall board fence surrounded the store on three sides. Inside the fenced area, there was a garage, a warehouse and a shed for barrels of coal oil. A small log barn housed the family cow.
An icehouse was filled with blocks of ice that were cut from the lake in the winter and packed in sawdust. A metal insulated cooler inside the store was used to keep grocery items cool using these blocks of ice throughout the summer months.
Two-thirds of the building was used as the store, and the other third was used for living quarters. The living area was divided into two rooms; a kitchen and dining area and a bedroom. A dirt cellar underneath the living area provided further cold storage. The store part was heated by wood heat, and the cookstove warmed the living area. On cold days patrons would stand around the wood heater in the store to warm up and swap stories.
There was a hitching post out front to tie your horse, but many patrons just walked there in the summer. The store was open Monday through Saturday, and Sundays were reserved for going to church.
Twice a week, mail was brought to the store by horse and buggy or caboose from Leask. These were the busiest shopping days and it was also a good time to visit with neighbours. The mail consisted of much-anticipated letters between family and friends and the beloved mail-order catalogue. In those days, nothing was wasted; catalogues were recycled for use in the outhouse.
Bills were written out by hand. Many items came in bulk, not prepackaged, and needed to be weighed and bagged when a purchase was made.
The Hubs’ grandmother made these purchases at Royal Lake Store in 1945. All the items aren't legible, but it looks like her purchase included onions, coffee, cheese, sardines, sausage and bread. My mother-in-law could buy two chocolate bars for five cents at the store when she was a kid in the 30s. She had never seen candy before and didn't know what to do with it.
Customers often exchanged goods they had for things they needed. They would bring in eggs and butter to trade for coffee or tea. Grandma often walked to the store with a grape basket full of eggs to trade for other items.
The original store owners offered these certificates of credit in the 1930s. Patrons earned 5 cents back for every dollar spent or 2 1/2 cents for every fifty cents spent. The coupons were redeemable for merchandise annually in December. These coupons were found in an old house and it isn’t know why they were never redeemed.
Jars of candy sat behind the counter. The Hubs’ Uncle Jerry remembers being just tall enough as a young boy to reach up and place a coin on the counter to buy some candy. My brother-in-law fondly remembers getting a raw wiener given to him by the store owner. Wooden crates full of soda pop in glass bottles sat stacked behind the fence. Occasionally, a kid would reach through the fence, grab a bottle of pop, drink it and then put the empty bottle back in the case. This did not go over well when the owner found out.
Royal Lake Store 2019
My in-laws have owned the land where the store was since 1956. Only the outer shell of the main store building remains standing. The other buildings have been moved to use for other purposes or torn down over the years. The gas pump remained in its original location for years until sadly it was vandalized and parts of it stolen.
Royal Lake itself is about a half-mile as the crow flies from where the store was. In the 1920s and 1930s, the lake was a popular picnic, fishing and boating spot. It sported a sandy beach and a pavilion built over the water. Dances were held there on Friday nights with music provided by local musicians.
Eventually, the lake water went down, and trees and vegetation grew into the areas once used for recreation. The war broke out, and people moved on. The new road didn't go right by there anymore. The lake isn't accessible today to boats or vehicles, but the view of it is still beautiful.
The mental images of the store customers standing around the woodstove visiting and people happily dancing the night away at the pavilion on the lake are my favourites. I have talked in previous posts about the importance of having things to look forward to. These must have been things that the country folk looked forward to back in the day.
Royal Lake 2019
If you enjoyed this story, please share it. Thank you.