photo: Kate McDonnell

EXPLAINER SHOPS FOR WHAT'S TO COME.

1 This store was owned and operated by P. Gillman, a Ukrainian Jew who immigrated to Canada. The building was bought by his father in 1944 and Gillman spent decades as the quiet but well-loved proprietor. He passed away in November at age 95. In recent years, the store was more of a lure to photographers and neighbourhood gawkers than a business. Its bright greenish interior, randomly stocked shelves, and sign on the door announcing Planters peanuts, "STATIONERY, CANDY, TWINE ETC." lured passers-by to a store frozen in a different time. "I was totally in love with it," says Binky Holleran, the owner of Fuchsia, a vegetarian restaurant serving edible flowers located across the street. "It represents an era that I find very fascinating... when I moved in across the street it just became even more present in my life." She is now the proud owner of the building. Holleran recently put a sign on the door inviting people to share stories about Gillman and she plans to create a documentary for his daughter about the man, his store, and what they meant to the neighbourhood. Gillman's daughter turned down other buyers with more money because she felt Holleran and her business were the best fit for her father's building.

2 Gillman was known to many local storeowners because he often supplied them with wholesale goods. "Everyone who came into contact with him all have such happy memories of him," says Holleran. Now the store will be the next site of Fuchsia, though she plans to keep a tribute to him within the space. "I needed to expand my business and just could not get that place out of my mind," she says. "I thought the charm of his space and his energy had such a special presence. My business is based on comfort food and cooking things with love and a community experience, and that's what he seemed to be doing." Holleran hasn't touched the store as of yet. She plans to make it available to photographers and other members of the public who wish to document it. Drop by Fuchsia at 54 Duluth E. for more information.
 
 

		Write your comment on this article!

Bygone Era     Wow, one last chance to see the store in all of it's timeless antiquated glory before it falls prey to gentrification. At least people will have the opportunity to see it one last time and document it's by-gone aesthetic - and thankfully, the store is going to someone who's herself a kindred spirit and old soul too...
Mark St Pierre	{15 votes}	May 6th, 2007
Depressing     As someone who has seen the face of St. Laurent change drastically over the years it was quite a nice piece from Mr. O'Meara with its reminder of Gillman's and of a time a place when St. Laurent had oh-so-much character and characters. From the fishmarket below Ste Catherine to Simcha's it seems that too many of the stores that defined the neighboorhood are unfortunately going the way of Welch's bookstore. That may be a fact of the times but it does little to sooth the sadness of some of a long gone yet beloved era!
Reuven De Souza	{10 votes}	May 6th, 2007
Remembering Gillman     Never noticed the store but if comments and the article itself are any indication, Gillman was a decent man. I think it is fair to say that he lived a full life (95 years). It is also nice to know that the new owner will pay tribute in her store to honour Gillman. Kudos to her.
Daudi Saidi		May 10th, 2007
Time Travel     I always assumed entering the store transported you back to 1940s Montreal...
R Brock		May 9th, 2007
Continuity on the Main     Great story about neighborhood and values and a face of Montreal and its Main that has all but disappeared. Some places do have souls, and the current practice of renovating the hell out of those old buildings is chasing away spirits that have seen the neighborhood be a cultural hotbed for close to a century. It's comforting to know that old Gillman's is now owned by someone named Binky, who sees value in respecting that history and that essence.
Francisco Uribe	{6 votes}	May 9th, 2007
Attached...     I've never been to Gillman's - and now I regret that I haven't. The time of places like this having a favored spot in our memories and souls is sadly fading. Most of your new megastores and the such - tend to be non-descript entities more focused on getting you in, purchasing and then quickly out - than actually enjoying the experience of actually been there. Witness a store like HMV vs. the old Sam The Record Man - on Ste-Catherines. HMV is a far bigger store, yet I doubt many people have fond memories of their times shopping there. With Sam's - the place somehow had personality, and I always found something new and surprising there that I didn't expect to. With the new mega-huge movie theatres like the Paramount. Much bigger screen, better seats, state of the art sound - yet - I miss the days of going to a theatre like the old Loews, which I just used to love just going to - and not just for the movie. My hope is that retailers realize, that sometimes you don't just go there for what is sold, that sometimes it's a lot more to it.
Rob Postuma	{4 votes}	May 8th, 2007
Going, Going, Gone...     Wow, Gillman's is a total throwback to a kinder, gentler era. It's a shame that it's timelessness is giving way to the reality of both life and business. But you have to give the new proprietor props for her plans to document the man and his store for posterity.
David St Pierre	{1 vote}	May 7th, 2007
*Explain This!!!*     Montreal's gentrification slows down but never stops, does it? I suppose I should be more saddened than I actually am but I didn't have a deep emotional attachment to the Gillman store like I do to some other Montreal landmarks. Still, it's sad to see yet another part of our past fall under the shadow of change. Hey, speaking of change, anybody notice the Paramount downtown changing names? Whatever...it'll still be an eyesore to look at.
Pedro Eggers	{3 votes}	May 7th, 2007
Simcha's     Mr. St-Pierre is talking about Simcha's grocery. Simcha Leibovici and his wife have both died. The sign from their store is currently in the Logo Cities gallery show at Concordia's VAV Gallery. Mr. St-Pierre will find out more about them, and about a documentary made about them, if he goes to flickr.com and searches for "Simcha".
Kate McDonnell	{21 votes}	May 5th, 2007
Man this Reminds me of Something     There used to be an old little shop on st-laurent near bagg street. There was a lovely old couple who sold fruits and vegies. The old man sat behind this massive cash register that weighed in over 1000 pounds i swear on my mother's grave. He once told me and my brother that we could have the cash register if we could carry it out of the store, we tried very unsuccessfully. The thing didn't even budge an inch. About 2 years ago the store disappeared and I have no clue what happened to this lovely old couple. It seems that modernity has sweaped up so quickly and is changing the contemporary landscape. An eye glass store now replaces the old mom and pop store. I guess this is the fate of the rest of the Plateau. Making room for our generation i guess...
Eric St-Pierre	{21 votes}	May 3rd, 2007
Gillman will be Missed     With Gillman there was a window on the past, one can admire that he stayed on until way past retirement age, that he took his time in what he did. I would see him talk to his neighbours from the Portughese cafe across the street and sometimes I think that staying on offering bit of social talk besides his stationary and planters stock was his way of fitting into the niche of quarter. Like you write I do would be transfixed by the words twine, stationary and candies. What a lovely odd mix to carry through to the next century. He will be missed much as I miss another person who has disappeared from the main or near main landscape and that is Simcha (if I have the name correctly) and his market place next to the Cooper building on the corner of Roy and St Laurent. Gillman had his green painted front and Simcha had his red and white letter painted sign over his shop. Nice of Holleran to invite people who have memories of Mr. Gillman to come forward and share their memories.
Martin Dansky	{14 votes}	May 3rd, 2007

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