By Joanne Pinard-Lacroix
As I write this article, I am reflecting on bygone days and my grandfather, the late Alfred J.B. Pinard, who would be 143 years young this year. He was a Lowertown pioneer, who during his 104 years residing in Ottawa, remained an active community member and business owner of a fine-foods import store in the very heart of Ottawa, Pinard’s Wine and Grocers.
As my grandfather aged, I only wish that I had had the foresight and curiosity to ask him about the courageous business endeavors that he undertook to create a thriving business in Lowertown, despite the many challenges and economic pressures of the time. His father, Alfred L. Pinard, (born in St. David, Quebec in 1847) served as alderman and was the founder of the A.L. Pinard and Sons Grocers store at 175 King Street (now King Edward Avenue) in Lowertown.
175 King Edward Avenue Photo: Pinard family records
His enterprise, established in 1869, was located in a beautiful stone building at the corner of St. Andrew Street. The first floor was used as the family business, while the upper portion served as the family residence and hence the home of my grandfather in his formative years. When the family business outgrew this location, a new home for the enterprise was found at 96-98 Rideau Street.
While the business at the new site on Rideau Street continued to thrive, my enterprising grandfather embarked on his very first business venture in 1898 at the age of 22 years, and launched his own store at 172-174 Rideau Street, known as Pinard’s Groceries and Wine. This store maintained the same quality of service as his father’s original business, but the product line shifted from nails and noodles to fine-quality food items.
My grandfather kept the business growing for 49 years and finally retired at the age of 71 in 1947. He took much pride in providing exceptional service and quality products to his patrons, including imported cheeses, caviar, wines and olive oil. Throughout his tenure as business owner and helper in his father’s store, my grandfather experienced many business transformations to accommodate the emerging demands of the era, including prohibition, two wars and the Great Depression as well as the many challenges of importing goods and specialty products directly from Europe.
Members of the Pinard family are very proud of the contributions that our forefathers made to Bytown and later Ottawa, from a business, community and political perspective. My brother, A. James (Jim) and my sister, Lynne, are now the proud keepers of the brass plaques that were displayed on the delivery trucks (1906 Franklins) of the Pinard family business. These and other preserved items, which might seem trivial to many people, are important symbols of our heritage.
It is nice to know that, beyond these precious mementos, there still remains a physical structure that bears the family name on the King Edward Avenue building where the original Pinard family business was launched. The structure, a beautiful three-storey, stone building with a mansard roof with numerous gabled dormers built in 1866, was restored and converted into apartments that have become known as The Stoney Inn. In 1990, this historical structure was designated a heritage building by the City of Ottawa and now bears the name: The Pinard House/ La Maison Pinard.
The Pinard family is very grateful for the acknowledgement of the contribution of our forefathers and hopes that the legacy of the pioneering spirit of the Pinard family will carry on. We also hope that this building will be enjoyed by many Lowertown residents for years to come.