From our family to yours…
Our Story
P.G. Towns & Sons General Store was operated in the village of Douro by four generations of the Towns Family for 124 years. First generation owners were P.G. & Ellen Towns, second generation, Bill (son of P.G. and Ellen) & Mary Towns and Joe Towns (son of P.G. and Ellen), third generation, Mike (grandson of P.G. and Ellen) & Rosemary Towns, fourth generation and Chris Coons and Michelle Towns (great granddaughter of P.G. and Ellen). Over the decades, the store sold everything from horse harnesses, fencing, livestock feed and rubber boots, to flour, eggs, local cheese and maple syrup. Its ever-revolving doors, furnace grate, counters, aisles, wood floors and deli were places where innumerable visits were had and stories were both shared and made by countless members of the community.
Pictured here is staff and family back in 1986 when the store received the Canadian Heritage Award for the Canadian Federation Of Independent Grocers. (L-R) Mary Eileen Holland, Mike Towns, Seraphine Towns, Joe Towns, Jean Condon, Nancy Towns, Rosemary Towns, Mark Towns, Steve Towns, Michelle Towns, Maureen O’Grady, Mary Towns, Marie Moher.
Picked with Care
Mike Towns spent his lifetime from birth to retirement in this general store. His love of listening and telling stories in and around the store, compiled with his interest in personally photographing local events and occasions over the decades, led to preparing his first book after his retirement in 2005, as a means of sharing both with his community. Mike appreciated the interest expressed by his family, friends, neighbours and former customers who began sharing photographs of their ancestors, along with stories of days gone by with him. The concept of a collection bringing oral history and photography together came to life. His collections, While Mindin' the Store, I Mind the Time and Sit Down 'Til I tell Ya work to honour and archive the oral history and oral tradition passed from one generation to the next in this unique community in Douro-Dummer Township and rural Ontario.
“It is a collection of memories based on the contributions of many members in the community or those with ties to it during countless chats, along with my perspective, living and working a lifetime in Douro.”
- Mike Towns, While Mindin’ the Store