An Intro to Small Town Life at Wilson's Hardware
By Tim Nimigan
I was raised in Toronto and then lived in Kingston, Guelph and London during my post-secondary education. Taking an Art teaching job in 1974 at Napanee District Secondary School meant that I was about to find out what it was like to work and live in a really small town for the first time. It didn't take long to realize it was a good fit for me and I was convinced that I was making all the necessary adjustments. That is, until one day in January 1975 when I had the following experience at Wilson's Hardware down on Dundas Street.
It happened during the second half of my then forty-five minute lunch hour when I dropped down to Wilson's to quickly pick up a fifty-pound bag of quick-set plaster in time for my afternoon sculpture class. I knew I was cutting it close but still figured there was just enough time to get down, get it and get back.
The clerk, Graham VanSickle, explained to me that the bags of plaster were downstars so he would do the bill up, have me pay and then I would need to drive around to the back of the building where he would then meet me to load it into my vehicle. I wasn't counting on having to go around back to pick it up but that was fine and timewise, I figured it was still doable.
As Graham was filling out the bill, somebody came in and said, "Say, Graham, did you see the rainbow outside?" In response Graham said, "A rainbow? In January? I don't think I've ever seen a rainbow in January! We'd better have a look at that." That's precisely what he did. He left me standing at the counter and went outside to see the rainbow. What was a former Torontonian supposed to do? Realizing that the only other choice was to stand there fretting about whether or not I would make it back to class in time, I went and looked at the rainbow too.
Graham added to my education and my mindset about the pace of small-town living that day, now forty-six years ago. Without saying it directly, he told me to, 'Slow down. You're moving too fast. You've got to make your life last.' I have really enjoyed the quality of life I have experienced in Napanee and Lennox & Addington County. Thanks, Graham!
~ Do you have an old photo of Wilson's Hardware in Napanee? We'd love to see it! ~