Article by Kelly Goslin/Photography by Josianne Masseau

It’s a sunny spring day in the little town of Rosseau, Ontario. Nestled on the shore of its eponymous Lake Rosseau, this village with a year-round population of less than 300 is punctuated by quaint heritage structures and Muskoka’s picturesque landscape. The warm and inviting weather has drummed up some cottaging fervour and the narrow streets are lively. As you make your way through, you arrive at the main intersection, where there prominently stands a historic shop. In an instant, the Rosseau General Store transports you back in time and welcomes you to a bygone world, in the words of current owner Laurie McDonald, “like an old friend.” This year, that old friend celebrates 150 years in the community.

The Rosseau General Store was first constructed in 1874 by Jerry Homer, one of the many entrepreneurial spirits that hoped to find prosperity in Muskoka’s wilderness. He was quick to discover, as described by Terry Einarson, the son of previous store owners Fred and Esther, that this frontier community was unsustainable in the winter months. The business changed hands every few years, each new owner attempting to survive the region’s snowy bluster.

The first signs of this effort coming to fruition appear to be found under the ownership of Edward Jordan. The timing of Jordan’s initial success coincides with the rise of tourism and cottage-driven economy in the region. By the mid-1880s, Lake Rosseau had evolved into a popular vacation destination, and with the change the store's offerings diversified to accommodate new visitors. By 1896, the Rosseau General Store satiated the need for a one-stop-shop to serve the rapidly growing number of settlers and visitors in the area. Much of the region’s successful development in this period is owed to the innovation of steamboat and nautical travel.

According to historian Andrew Watson, great ships like the 1866 Wenonah and later RMS Segwun enabled cottagers and travellers to access remote Muskoka. In addition, regular navigation on Muskoka’s waters throughout the 1870s and 1880s encouraged the promotion of Muskokan commerce as well as an influx of externally-sourced goods. In his article Supply Networks in the Age of Steamboat Navigation: Lakeside Mobility in Muskoka, Ontario, 1880–1930, Watson describes the ingenuity of Lake Rosseau’s merchants.

“Around 1880, Francis Forge had a novel idea,” writes Watson. “Witness to a growing number of visitors from the city eager to spend part of their summer embracing nature in Ontario’s northern wilderness, Forge recognized the perfect opportunity to market local farm products. Loading his rowboat with fresh foods bought and bartered from neighbouring farmers, along with whatever his own household had to sell, Forge rowed along the shore of Lake Rosseau selling what he could to tourists and cottagers.”

At the Rosseau General Store, cottagers and northbound visitors throughout the 1890s onward could readily find anything they needed for Muskoka living, made available in-store through deliveries from the Constance. According to current owners Laurie McDonald and Brian Dollin, “the Constance served as the primary supply vessel for Homer & Co.,” the name held by the store throughout the early Edwardian era. The Gravenhurst-built steamer transported goods through both Lakes Rosseau and Joseph until 1921. With the regular communication of provisions, the Rosseau General Store entered the twentieth century offering a notably wide range of goods and services, from groceries and hardware to postal and banking facilities.

Despite the challenges of two World Wars and the Great Depression, the Rosseau General Store continued to thrive, adapting to changing times. Purchased in 1922 by James Brown, the store remained in his family’s ownership for almost fifty years. In the 1940s, Fred Einarson, nephew to James, was brought on board to manage the store, and he continued to commandeer the shop until 1967.

Laurie McDonald and Brian Dollin purchased the “Grand Ol’ Lady” in March of 2017, only seven months after visiting the store for ice cream.

“Brian and I always wanted to run a business together and we also have a real soft spot for heritage buildings,” explains McDonald. “When we became empty nesters, we decided to make a big change.”

Leaving their corporate lives in the Greater Toronto Area, moving up to Rosseau, and purchasing the general store was a leap of faith and a significant departure from their known world. The four-story, nineteenth-century structure was in great need of restoration and renovation to bring it up to snuff. To cover the expense of this massive project, an eight-year undertaking, McDonald and Dollin needed to expand the General Store’s offerings and revitalise the splendour that had defined it a century prior.

Their efforts to bring back the all-in-one destination heralded by Homer & Co. have certainly succeeded.

Under Dollin and McDonald’s careful stewardship, the store is a vibrant mix of old and new, antique fixtures and vintage photos sharing space with a wide array of contemporary goods. Where supports or joists needed to be replaced, those materials have been carefully repurposed elsewhere. An original beam now mantels the upstairs fireplace. Bricks from a defunct chimney have been reused to backsplash the fireplace and stove. Antiques from the store are being purchased and returned to their original situation and local artists are on board to celebrate and commemorate the shop’s legacy through their work.

Visitors to the Rosseau General Store are greeted by the familiar sights and smells of a classic general store: the creak of wooden floors, the aroma of freshly baked bread and the enticing display of old-fashioned candy jars. However, it's also a trove of unique gifts, local arts and crafts and gourmet food items.

When asked about their part in the historic restoration project, McDonald firmly asserts that the story and life of the shop “is not about the owners.”

“We are just the keepers,” says McDonald. “That store belongs to the people.”

Their humility and deference to the building have been echoed throughout the decades of previous owners. All who have had the task of preserving the Rosseau General Store vehemently sustain it is more than just a place to shop; it is a social hub and a living piece of local culture and memory. Under Dollin and McDonald, it carries this responsibility through its outreach.

The Rosseau General Store regularly delivers to vulnerable members of the community, year-round, and has also begun regularly donating food to Rosseau’s local food bank. Now more than ever, the Grand Ol’ Lady recognizes the importance of giving back to the community that has supported her for so long.

As the Rosseau General Store looks to the future, it remains steadfast in its mission to preserve the past while meeting the needs of the present. Visitors come to the shop to reconnect with their past, their families, and their traditions, traditions cherished by the shop’s timelessness.

For the 150th anniversary of the Rosseau General Store, McDonald intends to celebrate with the store’s most beloved friends – the people of the community. Plans are made for a summertime picnic on August 10th, harkening back to the leisure of Muskoka’s past and plaque commemoration is in the works through Seguin Township. Above all else, McDonald and Dollin are excited to experience this momentous occasion with all who have shared space and memories with the Grand Ol’ Lady of Rosseau.