Donald Teuma-Castelletti
NORWAY BAY Oct. 6, 2018
A community gathered Saturday afternoon, wishing the owners of their local dépanneur well after the store closed shop last Sunday.
Upwards of 200 people joined the Henderson’s at the Norway Bay Golf Club, as the family matriarch retires, and other members enter new careers, after over 30 years of the family serving their community.
“It’s overwhelming and heart-warming,” said Val Henderson, of the party on Saturday. “I’ve often thought retiring would be the right thing to do, but it’s tough.”
Having opened the convenience store portion of the business in 1981, entitled simply Henderson’s Store, the family has provided the community and its cottagers with everything they could need through the years. The spot has long been a valued hub in Norway Bay, and upon their announcement of closing shop for good in August, many reminisced about what the store meant to them through the decades.
The store closed for good on Sept. 30, with customers joining the Henderson’s and employees for a drink as the doors closed for the last time.
Andy Henderson, Val’s son, described it as a bittersweet moment, adding that it’s a testament to the community that has supported the family business for so long.
“Everybody is thankful for our service and we’re very appreciative of theirs, it’s reciprocal,” he continued.
Community members streamed in and out of the party from 3 p.m. till six, thanking the family for their time with the store and bidding good luck to them in their next chapters.
While Andy remains local, Val is planning to do a bit of travelling, and hopes to get back into sketching with her free time.
Of course, Val plans to remain a local, confident she’ll return to the bay when her travelling wraps up. As guests milled about the golf club, she looked around and said she looks forward to seeing many of their faces in the years to come, at one place or another.
Helen McCredie, owner of the Norway Bay Golf Club, said she hosted the party because she knows what the Hendersons have endured staying with the business as long as they did. As well, the friends have been loyal to each other’s businesses for decades.
The Hendersons were thankful for her support, with Val adding it is a wonderful gesture on their part.
As guests left, there was an opportunity to sign the borders of framed photos for family members. Each of the four borders were nearly entirely covered by half past five that afternoon, a sign of just how much Norway Bay has come to see them as more than just another store.
