(Posted 7:30 p.m., April 10)
Sarsfield landmark closes its doors for the last time
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

The Home Hardware store in Sarsfield closed its doors for good on Tuesday, leaving 17 employees facing the unemployment live. Fred Sherwin/Photo

In today's day and age of big box stores and online shopping, it's amazing that the Sarsfield Home Hardware store has survived this long.

On Tuesday, the local institution, which has served the community for the past 20 years, closed ts doors for the last time.

Unlike most other Home Hardware stores which are franchises, the Sarsfield location was a corporate store and it was the corporation which decided to close it, informing the manager Frank Scultz and the 17 employees about the decision on Monday.

The only good news is that the employees will remain on the payroll until June 12.

Despite several years of poor sales, the company had been hoping for things to improve while they were tryign to find a potential buyer. The sales never materialized and neither did a suitor, forcing the company to make the decision it did.

Besides selling hardware supplies, the store also served as an outlet for Agribrands Purina Canada animal feed and it housed the local post pffice.

Those people who remained loyal to the store, like local farmer Bob Dessaint, will have to go elsewhere to buy their hardware supplies and feed for their animals. The post office will remain open unil May 15.

"It's going to make a big hole in the community because we'll have to go somewhere else," says Dessaint.

The closure is just the latest in a series of blows the community has suffered over the past 10 years. The Sarsfield Hotel, which was a popular local watering hole and gathering place closed in 2011, the Caisse Populaire Desjardins closed shortly afterward, and the St-Hugues elementary school closed in 2003.

Sarsfield Community Association director Stephanie DeGuire says many residents have gotten into the habit of shopping in Orléans.

"It seems people are deciding to head to the Home Depot and the Lowes and the other big box stores as opposed to the small town stores," says DeGuire. "Right now all we have left is a little depaneur and the community centre."

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)

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