Work Through Time: Cape Breton Stories of Land & Sea

To the people of the area, the Brook Village Grocery is more than a place to buy groceries; it is a symbol of continuity and of personal history.

The story of the building spans well over 100 years. It was built in the 1860s by Alexander MacDonald and was first used as a tailor’s shop and later a general store. Alexander was born in West Lake in 1841 to a family originally from Tulloch, Scotland - thus his nickname "Sandy Tulloch." He was an outspoken man with strong opinions (of the Liberal persuasion), and through a combination of energy and enterprise, he maintained a prominent place in the Brook Village community for over fifty years. He employed many local people in his numerous enterprises, which included a tannery, a watermill, a steam-sawmill, a farm, and dealings related to cattle and sheep. He was married to Margaret (daughter of Hugh MacDonald of Black River) and they had eight children, among them Hughie and Johnny who continued to operate the building as a general store after Sandy's death in 1919.

Brook Village really hummed in those early days and had a much larger population than it does at present. Sandy had to contend with competition from two other stores, one of which was owned by Alex Jamieson (of the Tory persuasion) and naturally, a more-or-less good humored war was waged between the two, spiced up with elaborate practical jokes, intrigues and smart remarks.

There was a blacksmith shop run by Raonul Gobha (or Ronald McMaster), and he and his wife were blessed with many friends and were known for their large-hearted hospitality.

The General Store of the Tullochs bore a small resemblance to modern supermarkets in inventory, sales methods, and modes of transport.

As you entered the store, the air was rich with the smells of kerosene, leather, tobacco and cheese. A coal/wood stove occupied floor space along with a variety of wooden barrels containing flour, brown sugar and white sugar. Shelves held dry goods such as cloth yardage, notions, and work clothes.

Grocery items consisted of what we would consider the most basic staples, including local eggs, butter, vegetables, and cheese. There were no canned goods, no meats, and only such products that were available in season and could be kept without too much loss in spoilage.

Luxury items consisted of tobacco, hard candies, and in 1914 a new product that gained instant popularity - spearmint gum.

Kerosene for lamps was a major necessity and always in stock. In those days it was delivered on a tank wagon. The big plodding horse that pulled the tank wagon from Mabou was owned by the Imperial Oil Company.

Every inch of floor and wall space in the store was occupied by sundries – shovels, picks, rubber boots, harnesses, parts, supplies for the blacksmith, spikes, nails, and equipment parts.

There was little or no money to buy any of these goods, and the barter system was often the only practical means of exchange. Thus, if you had cows, but no chickens, you could exchange butter for eggs at a given ratio, or you could buy your barrel of flour, by working a certain length of time for Tulloch. Credit was freely given, but strict records were kept and not many dared to default. Everybody knew everybody all too well, and it would not do to be unfavored by Sandy Tulloch!

This account of the Brook Village Grocery Store was edited from an article that originally appeared in The Inverness County Participaper in April 1982, published by the Inverness County Department of Recreation and Tourism.

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