Thor’s Meats and Groceries has been a staple in our community for over 100 years. Originally opening in 1901 and continuing the entire time as a locally owned family run business, the store will be closing for the final time in the upcoming days.
“My great-grandfather and my grandfather moved here in 1901 from Lundar and started the business then,” said Thorsteinson.
The original business location was down the street a ways from the current location. In 1919 the business moved across the street to the space now occupied by TD Bank. The final move took place in 1935 when the business began to occupy the current location at 401 Main St.
The business continued to be owned by Thorsteinson’s family and he started working at the business from a young age.
“I used to come down here when I was just a kid going out with the guys and delivering stuff because everybody had a delivery service in those days and there were lots of other stores. By the time I was 16, or 17, I started cutting in earnest and even before then when I was in high school I’d come and make sausage and things after school,” he said.
Thorsteinson says that the business was an ingrained part of the family.
“The story always went like when my grandfather came home from World War One and came to say hello to his mother, the first thing she said was, ‘Well get down to the store your dad needs you.’ And, when my dad came back from the Second World War he went to his mom and she said, ‘Get down to the store, they need you.’ So, in my case, it was very similar. They needed me at that time and there were no questions about what you’re going to do,” he said.
Though the population in Selkirk hasn’t changed a lot since he started in the business, Thorsteinson said that the city’s business landscape has morphed over the years.
“There were lots of smaller corner stores and smaller shops. There were lots of meat shops because during the 30s and 40s and 50s a lot of people didn’t have fridges and things like that so they were shopping every day. A lot of the meat stores and grocery stores were serving the boat traffic, for fishing and different services in different places up the lake. Then as the corporate stores came in things changed,” he said.
Thorsteinson’s recollection is that the store itself hasn’t changed much over the years but he says there has been a shift from grocery items to specialty meat products.
“As time went along, and the chain stores started ramping up, you couldn’t make money selling groceries. So, you had to evolve, change and be flexible in the way you did things and give people what they wanted. We just went more into meat. We’re probably 90 per cent meat because of the things we do with it. Butchers are almost non-existent now. It’s really a lost art at this point,” Thorsteinson explained.
He says that the most enjoyable part of being in business in our community over the years has been the customers.
“We’ve been blessed by the best customers, the most understanding customers. They put up with me for all these years and my little quirks and things like that. It’s been an absolute joy to do all my life and I still enjoy doing it. The equipment’s getting old, I’m getting old, the building’s getting old, it’s time to move on. It’s been just an amazing career,” said Thorsteinson.
The community has supported the business over the years and Thorsteinson has given that support right back. For many years he volunteered for the Selkirk Fire Department rising to the rank of Fire Chief before his retirement from that position.
He explained that the flexibility that working for himself provided meant that he was able to volunteer with the department when they needed a hand.
Now as Thorsteinson approaches retirement he has some great plans.
“[I plan to] introduce myself to my family. I’ve got three girls here and eight grandchildren that are local. I’ll have lots to do. I’ve got lots to do around my house that I haven’t been able to do for years, things like that,” he said.
At this time he wanted to say thank you to all of the people who’ve been customers and been involved with the business over the years.
“All four of our generations have been blessed in this town. We’re all very thankful for the support that everybody’s given us over the years. They will not be forgotten that’s for sure. The customers, they make it all worthwhile,” said Thorsteinson.
