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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2015-05-20, Page 3Wednesday, May 20, 2015 • Huron Expositor 3 Owners of Seaforth Foodland set to retire Marco Vigliotti Huron Expositor In the over two decades Steve and Barb DelChiaro have owned the Seaforth Foodland grocery store, one night stands out in their minds as providing unquestionably the greatest professional challenge they've ever weathered. It also spawned what they believe was one of their greatest achievements. April 27, 2013. In the early hours of that fateful spring day, a suspicious looking blaze gutted the community's only grocery store, threatening to spell the end for one of the anchor ten- ants of Seaforth's Main Street. As the DelChiaros prepare to retire at the end of the month, trans- ferring ownership to MJ and Kevin Baer who also operate the Lucan franchise, they maintain that there was never a moment when they considered not rebuilding the store. Their logic? It was the right thing to do, not just for them but also for the community. "We had a sense of need to do the right thing (and) rebuild the store - (to) do what is right for the community, do what is right for the employees," Steve said in a lengthy interview with the Expositor con- ducted inside that newly rebuilt Seaforth store. "People asking me on the very first day, 'do you plan to rebuild?' And we said yes." Reflecting back, he said the roughly eight month reconstruc- tion process represented the "hard- est challenge" he had encountered over the course of his entire 43 -year long career in the grocery business. Meanwhile, the opening of the new modern -looking Seaforth store in December 2013 was a "proud accomplishment," as well as a record rebuild for Sobeys Ontario, the parent company of Foodland, the DelChiaros said. "We're proud of the outcome of this. We moved at such lightning speed, right from the demolition - they were pulling the rubble away and it was still smouldering," Steve explained, adding that the actual construction of the new store only took about 16 weeks. "We couldn't have done it with- out the support that we got from our staff, our head office," Barb added. Now that, in the words of Barb, the "store is all put together," the couple decided to retire while they were still young enough to travel the world. As owners of what is likely Sea- forth's busiest retail operation, the DelChiaros said they've been una- ble to squeeze in more than two consecutive weeks of vacation time since they first started at the local Foodland store back in October 1994. Citing the example of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Barb said the couple wanted to "get out while still healthy and doing good," and did not want to make their exit "too late:' "I'11 be 59 this summer, so it's time to retire. We want to travel, now is the time, while we're young, to travel - it's hard to do that when you own a business" Steve said, noting that a 13 -day trip to Europe last year was the longest they were away from work in about 28 years. Although planning to visit Conservation officers encourage safe boating After one of the longest, coldest have been consistently delivering winters on record, the ice has melted to the boating community: and tens of thousands of Ontario Wear a PFD or lifejacket boaters and anglers are looking for- • Don't drink and boat ward to spending time on the water • Take a boating course enjoying their favourite pastimes. • Be prepared; both you and your Spring is the perfect time to give vessel some serious thought to making Be wary of the dangers of cold - sure this summer is a safe one on water immersion the water. With this goal in mind, "Our members will be on the the Ontario Conservation Officers water during Safe Boating Aware - Association (OCOA) joins the Cana- ness Week, whether working or dian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) to enjoying some recreational time promote the annual North Ameri- with our families': Rochette said. "I can Safe Boating Awareness Week, encourage all anglers and boaters May 16 to May 22. to start now to help us make this an "Our members actively enforce accident free season:' the laws regarding safe boating; said Anyone looking for more infor- OCOA president Tim Rochette, an mation about boating safety is Ontario conservation officer based encouraged to visit the CSBC web - in North Bay, and an active angler site at www.csbc.ca. For more and boater himself. "Itis the respon- information about natural sibility of every boater to ensure that resources regulations and enforce - they enjoy the outdoors safely." ment, please visit the OCOA web - At the core of the 2015 campaign site at www.ocoa.ca, or contact are the five key messages that we your local conservation officer. Marco Vigliotti/ Huron Expositor Steve and Barb DelChiaro said rebuilding after a fire in 2013 ravaged the Seaforth Foodland grocery store ranked as their most difficult challenge of their careers. England and Quebec in the near future, the DelChiaros maintain that they have no intentions of per- manently leaving Seaforth, where they've raised their children and own a home. In fact, the community's quiet and peaceful rural charm was one of its strongest appeals to the DelChiaros when they first decided to set up shop. The couple, working in the ID 0 Greater Toronto Area at the time, said they were lured by the opportunity to return to more familiar terrain - Steve is from Stratford, while Barb hails from London - and Seaforth's more relaxed pace compared to the bustle of the infamously con- gested region centred around Canada's largest city. "It seemed to be a nice, quaint small town - a good place to raise your family," Steve said of his first impressions of the community. "And it was, I don't think we have any regrets." added Barb. While eager to start retirement, the DelChiaros acknowledge that they'll leave a bit of family behind in the Foodland staff, some of whom predate their tenure in Seaforth. "We do enjoy our staff, they're good people," Barb said. ATTENTION ADVERTISERS! 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