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Tabernac

October 31, 2009 @ 23:27

I got a little bummed out yesterday. I returned from Peterborough for the weekend and after exchanging hugs and kisses and pleasantries with my sweet little darlin' I got back in the car and headed for my local beer store.

My local beer store resides in the Heart Lake Town Centre in the north end of Brampton (insert Brampton joke here) and it's been part of my life since we moved here in 1984. That's 25 years of going to the same beer store, the same Shoppers Drug Mart and the same A+P.

The Heart Lake Town Centre provides a comfort zone for me that I've taken for granted over the years. You use the amenities and presume they'll always be there for you.

But yesterday, things changed. As I got out of the car at the beer store I glanced way across the parking lot and was startled by what I saw.

Where the big letters A+P once were, they were now replaced by a strikingly cold display of "metro'". I was aware that a Quebec company had taken control of A+P and that all stores were slowly being switched over, but that doesn't make the transition any easier for me and it all deals with sentimentality.

The A+P in the Heart Lake Town Centre has been a reference point for our family for a quarter century. In our first house we were half a kilometer away, our second house we could almost see it, and the house I'm in now is about three kilometers away.

A+P was part of our vernacular.

"Hey hon, we need some ketchup, can you whip down to the A+P?"
"We need a pumpkin for Halloween; I'll just grab one at A+P."
"Why would I buy flowers at a florist when A+P is half the price?"

Ring ring. "Hello."
"Fred where are you?"
"I'm on the 410."
"Can you stop at A+P and grab some toilet paper?"

You get the idea. A+P was a big part of our lives. When my kids were young the name A+P was music to their ears. it's where they picked out their favourite cereal, their lunch time treats and hollow fake fruit drinks with absolutely no nutritional value.

A+P. Buns and meat. Cake and tea.

I got to know the aisles, and the butcher and I looked forward to seeing one cashier who was stunningly attractive. All these things were talked about with A+P the constant. But now that has changed.

I could handle the odd aisle change, the retiring butcher and the attractive cashier having a few body parts drop over the years, I could even handle having to use a quarter to release a shopping cart, but I really can't handle the name change.

I will not buy my frozen Lick's burgers at "metro". I will not whip down to "metro" to grab some garbage bags. I will not buy my lottery tickets at "metro."

They can call it anything they want, but it will always be A+P to me.

And I'll still buy my economical game snacks there before going to the "Skydome."

Category: Stuff

Permalink Discuss

54 Responses to "Tabernac"


Bruce Mallory
October 31, 2009 / 14:15

Same deal in Dundas as well buddy although ours needed a little sprucing up which metro did but I'm the same
A&P for me
Bruce


Horonymous
October 31, 2009 / 14:33

Merde.


Jake
October 31, 2009 / 15:24

A large number of grocery stores in the sounth west of Scarborough have gone Chinese.
I've tried them and don't feel welcome there. Had no idea of the changes going on. Time to move north. As far as I can go!!!!!


Freeway Frank's Flyers
October 31, 2009 / 19:09

Mtl area Metro's actually don't have great prices.


Dimwit
October 31, 2009 / 19:36

You're pissing into the wind here Freddie! We lost the IGA and Loeb's, both good stores.
Luckily the IGA was taken over by Sobey's which has turned out to be a pretty good chain. Same people still are in it and there's fairly good specials on a consistent basis. The meat can't be beat. :)
Any of the Metro's I've been in are expensive and bland. Can you think of a more banal name than Metro?


Line of Sight
October 31, 2009 / 19:38

No. Provigo is the batter way to go in Montreal.


Drop Shopping
October 31, 2009 / 19:47

Shopping technology will guarantee your bank card data stays private, so shop with peace of mind. Drop Shopping


Pat
October 31, 2009 / 23:32

Ours turned to metro 6 months ago. Just now starting to call it metro.


Big J
November 1, 2009 / 12:07

Same here in Northern Ontario, Sudbury has seen the change. And at the end of it all you won't have any...CHANGE that is, since the prices are higher than what they used to be.
Enjoy!


Barnold
November 1, 2009 / 12:21


A&P Sucks.
Steinberg's all the way !


Wayner
November 1, 2009 / 20:12

Really not a big deal...its all the same in the end


Pete
November 1, 2009 / 23:40

Hey Freddie, been a while since I trolled over here. I vowed to never shop at "metro" when I discovered that they changed to the new name because "Dominion" was too "Anglo".

I'm sticking with No Frills and the local green grocer. Fortunately in Bloor West, there's a butcher, baker and a damn candle stick maker too! ;-)

--Pete


Ball
November 2, 2009 / 23:02

Yeah Fred... this is lucky for me, my company does printing for A&P now Metro and with the name change came orders for new printing, which is good for us. In fact I hope they change their name again real soon.


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