The Citizen-Auburn, 2004-07-29, Page 39Congratulations Auburn
on your 150th Anniversary!
from the
Lucknow
District
Co-operative Inc.
Serving Town & Country!
Lucknow 529-7953
PAGE 18. AUBURN - 150 YEARS OF HISTORY.
Stickers one of busiest spots in Auburn
Barry and Bill Young and Ray and
Allen Hildebrand.
He said around the time he opened
his business there were already
various gas stations in Auburn,
including Tom Johnston's, Andy
Plunkett's, Ralph Munro's and a
Fina Gas Station owned by Cliff
Brown.
Fortunately, the Seers never had to
face any calamities during their 36
years in business and one of their
greatest accomplishments was
meeting so many people and making
life-long friends.
All too soon, the time came for
Bill and Maxine to retire, so in 1991,
Jerry and Helen Sobo bought the
restaurant.
The Sobos renovated the
mechanical shop and created one
big restaurant.
A few years later, they sold it to
John and Heather Verwey and
Teresa Woods, who changed •the
name to Stickers.
The business was sold again, this
time to Ron Ritchie, the present
owner of the Stickers.
Ritchie said he hasn't made any
big renovations, but has.added some
newer equipment including two
friers, a stove and grill, toasters and
a dishwasher.
Although he still has both
gasoline and diesel fuel pumps,
Ritchie removed CB radio.
Stickers is opened Monday to
Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m..
Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8
p.m.
Busy stop
One of the busiest spots in Auburn these days is Stickers Restaurant and Truck Stop on York
Street, the place for socializing and great food. But the enterprise also has a long tradition in
the village, beginning with Maxine and Bill Seers, who purchased the vacant property in 1955
and build a successful business through which they served the community for 36 years.
One of the busiest spots in
Auburn, Stickers Restaurant and
Truck Stop on York Street, facing
County Rd. 25. it part of a long
tradition in the village.
Stickers now occupies the
building where, for 36 years. Bill
and Maxine Seers offered good
service, convenience and great food
through their family business, which
won't be soon forgot by the many
truck drivers who, while en route,
made numerous late night stops.
In 1955, the couple bought the
vacant lot for $1,000 from Fred Toll
and there was no need for a land
survey done, as the property
boarded all three streets as well as
the county road. At that time the
County Rd 25 bypass into Auburn
was being built.
The next year, the Seers started
making the foundation blocks for
the building, which ended up taking
two summers.
The gravel used for the blocks
was bought from Warner Andrews
who owned a gravel business as
well as a chopping mill.
Finally in the summer of 1958,
Seers Body Shop opened for
By Elyse DeBruyn
Citizen staff
business offering customers quality
paint jobs and mechanical repairs.
Records show that in .1959, a paint
job at Seers Body Shop cost $55.
In 1960, they added a small coffee
room onto the building and Maxine
began serving coffee to the passing
truck drivers, who stopped for gas a
quick bit to eat.
As business grew, so the building.
Bill and Maxine decided to added
another section to the restaurant.
They hired contractor Jim Schneider
to built it and in 1982, Maxine's
Snack Bar opened and two gas
pumps were installed in front of the
building.
- The first pumps only had Sunoco
gasoline, supplied from Ross Scott
Fuels in Brucefield, but in 1975 a
diesel pump was added.
While business was bobming, the
couple's three girls Gail (Reed), Fay
(Priest) and Carol (Reinink) all
helped their mother in the
restaurant.
The first person that Maxine hired
to work in the restaurant was Verna
Taylor.
A pay stub from Maxine's Snack
Bar from 1959, showed a $30 pay
cheque for one week's work, which
she said was good money back then.
Maxine said over the years they
put in long hours at the restaurant.
Ph: (519) 357-3430
Fax: (519) 357-2303
Email: macgowana@hurontel.on.ca
P.O. Box 1060,
RR #1
Wingham, Ontario NOG 2W0
Archie MacGowan,
Administrator
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Retirement Centre
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staying open for the truckers coming
from the salt mines in Goderich.
She said trucks would be lined up
at the pumps as Bill filled them with
-diesel fuel while Maxine filled their
bellies with homemade goodness.
With a CB radio in the restaurant,
Maxine was able to keep in contact
with the truckers and know when
they would be arriving, so she could
have sandwiches ready to serve.
She said in the winter, there would
constantly be truckers coming
through the restaurant and
sometimes she and Bill would be
there until 3 a.m. pumping fuel and
feeding the drivers. If it got too late,
Maxine said she would leave a plate
of sandwiches on the gas pumps for
the drivers to pick up since it was
the only truck stop until they • TA
reached Arthur. 11
Bill's first employee was Keith ElArinaaenrillialgEnalgrallin
Rodgers, followed by Cor Bakelaar,