An unusual grocery store

By Jack Krayenhoff

Did you know we have the oldest grocery store in Victoria right here in James Bay, dating from 1909? It's Niagara Grocery, between Government and South Turner Street. By its modest size, you might guess it is one of those convenience stores, but look a little closer, and you see right away there is something different about it - something personable. Quite a bit of produce is on show outside the store; that makes it look inviting. There is a blackboard with a message, often humorous, that is changed weekly. Near the front door there is doggy bowl of water and a ring; a customer ties the leash of his dog to it and goes in. It's like one of those hitching posts western bars used to provide for the cowboy's horse while he went inside for a drink - of course with a modern adaptation to the fact that the dog has replaced the horse as the most important domestic animal. As I said before - this place is not only old - it's different, it has personality.

So the Beacon makes a date with one of the owners, Ken Winchester, to find out what makes this grocery tick. Ken is a good host, who asks if I would like a cup of coffee (I gladly accept, because the coffee he is brewing smells excellent) and sits me down at a long table in the middle of the store. "I made it from recycled wood", he says with some pride. " It's our 'harvest table'. People sit down here with a cup of coffee - it has become quite a magnet for the community. We hold informal events here, like talks about food, chocolate tastings, or demonstrations of how honey is produced. Food builds community, you know? Then in the evening our children, when they have helped in the store, do their homework here."

"Our children?"

"Yes, my partner, Jennifer McKimmie and I are co-owners. Together we also manage the Fairfield Market, at the corner of Fairfield and Moss. Jen is affectionately known by customers as the "Grocery Goddess."

"How do you manage to compete with the big chain grocery stores?"

"We focus on fresh and local. We work with local farmers, local bakers, local ice cream makers, local artisan food producers. That way we know if the eggs are from free-range chickens, and meat from ethically treated animals. It's most important to us that food has been sustainably farmed, without chemicals. Even if it is not officially certified 'organic', you can taste the difference, and that is the bottom line. There is a big difference between freshly picked, locally grown tomatoes and those that have travelled thousands of miles. Yes, you pay a little more, but the big chain stores don't have time to spend on such things - they are about quantity. We do spend the time - a lot of time! - that is the reason so few others do it."

"Other trends also converge in the store. A lot of people now eat gluten-free, even if they don't have celiac disease. It's just a bit healthier, makes you feel just a bit better. Also we source fair-trade chocolate and coffee beans.

"You mentioned building community. Do you involve yourself in other ways with James Bay?"

"We support a number of local events and organizations, like the Art Walk, the James Bay Farmers' Market and the Community Centre. As James Bay's only coffee roaster, we roast a lot of coffee for the community.

Ken Winchester's expresses his business philosophy with the motto "Get Fresh with a Local!" Once you get the complicated pun, that pretty well sums up what his store is about.