BONNYVILLE - Nestled on the corner of 50 Ave. and 50 St. in downtown Bonnyville sits Brosseau’s Department Store.
The storefront has been a cornerstone in Bonnyville since it opened in 1928. After more than 90 years, and many generations, the Brosseau’s are handing over the keys of their family business.
The location has seen generations of Brosseau’s assisting customers, and has been described as a pillar in the community.
“It was started by my grandfather, and then my dad and uncle came in the early 50s I believe. They ran it until my dad bought my uncle Paul out in the late 90s, and then we bought dad out a few years later,” recalled Reg Brosseau, who ran the business with his brother, Terry.
After working for roughly 50 years in the family business, the brothers made the difficult decision to sell.
“It’s the end of the line after 91 years. It’s kind of sad in a way, but it was time,” he expressed, adding he still has mixed feelings about selling the family business.
Earlier this year, the wheels began turning to find someone interested in buying the store.
Brosseau described the deal that came to be as a “a stroke of luck.”
“We had said we wanted to retire and word got out,” he recalled. “It just happened that some real estate guy in Edmonton got wind of it, he came to see us, and 10 months later we had a deal.”
With three parties interested in purchasing the department store, it came down to Brian Min and his brother Ryan, who took over possession of Brosseau’s in October.
Originally from Edmonton, Min said his family is in the process relocating to Bonnyville. He has an extensive history in business, working for roughly 20 years at a gas station that also had a small grocery section. When he heard about Brosseau’s going up for sale, he saw it as an opportunity to own a store of his own.
Min said he was grateful to the Brosseau brothers for helping him transition into the role of owner.
“They’re really coming and helping, and they’re really welcoming. It’s a really good thing.”
While he has plans to do something with the empty space upstairs, the name and the store aren’t going to see any major changes.
“We’ll keep the traditions and the same things around. I don’t want to change it. I’d like to keep it going, and maybe bring more things in and try to think of what we’re going to do with the space upstairs,” stated Min.
When it comes to the Brosseau family’s history in retail, it goes back generations.
It all started in St. Albert in 1889 with a small shop that eventually grew into a larger location in Edmonton around the turn of the century. The family moved from a small hamlet called Brosseau Duvernay, located just outside of Two Hills, to St. Paul in 1915, before coming to Bonnyville in 1928 to open the local storefront.
Brosseau still recalls the days when his dad would bring in men from the Hudson’s Bay Company to purchase pelts to sell to their customers.
“We would have these piles of muskrats we would be sorting out and other furs like coyotes and beavers,” he reflected.
Brosseau’s didn’t always look the way it does now.
A one-story building was constructed in 1950 to replace the original structure that was destroyed in a fire. The family completely renovated the store in the 1970s, adding a second floor in addition to the basement in the back.
For over nine decades Brosseau’s has offered their customers various items including groceries, appliances, and clothing.
It became a tradition for family members to be part of the staff.
“We were eight kids, and we all had worked after school at some point,” Brosseau noted, adding he was 16-years-old when he became a full-time employee.
He and Terry worked alongside their dad, Wilfrid, until they took over in the 90s. Wilfrid passed away about two years ago.
Throughout the decades Brosseau’s has been open, they’ve given back to their community and still offer to deliver groceries for those who need it.
Although he’s officially retired, Brosseau can still be seen among the shelves and at the cash register helping customers as he shows the new owners the ropes.
“I’m trying to break the habit, but I’m also giving them a hand over Christmas,” he laughed.
He added, “I’m going to keep an eye on them to make sure things still go smoothly at the store. They’ve got a few things to learn that are second nature to me... They’re picking it up pretty fast.”
Brosseau hopes to travel during his retirement and enjoy some time at a summer cabin he built.
“I’ll hang out there with my grandkids and enjoy life.”
Town of Bonnyville council are taking steps to honour the Brosseau’s and their business, and will be discussing the best option to do so at a meeting in the new year.
