Aboussafy and Murray Store - Wetaskiwin, AB
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 52° 58.179 W 113° 22.340
12U E 340693 N 5871528
Across the railway tracks east of the centre of downtown Wetaskiwin, this one storey brick building has been only a general store and a paint store, never anything else.
Waymark Code: WMZ015
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 08/17/2018
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member GeoKs
Views: 1

It would seem that the Wetaskiwin Brick Company was a very profitable enterprise in the early years of Wetaskiwin as this was only one of dozens of buildings in the city built of their product. Who knows how many bricks they exported to other towns and even to other provinces at that time?

The building was for five decades the site of a general store, remaining in the family throughout that time. The store made a gradual changeover from general store to paint store, which it remains today. No longer in the hands of the original owners, this is now a Benjamin Moore outlet, Hanson's Paint & Decor.
Aboussafy and Murray Store
This building was constructed in 1912 using bricks from the Wetaskiwin Brick Company. That same year, Ameen Aboussafy and his brother -in-law, Sam Murray, opened the Aboussafy and Murray General Store here. The Aboussafy family bought the building in 1913 and it stayed in their hands for over fifty years.

The Aboussafy and Murray Store had a reputation for providing excellent service. They were always open at 7:00 a.m. and they did their best to meet the needs of their customers, advertising to pay the highest prices for farm produce. In 1923, the store became Aboussafy and Sons, and the business expanded to include another store in Wetaskiwin and one in Gwynne. Sometime in the 1940's, the name changed to Joe Aboussafy's Groceries and Paint, and in 1964 Joe closed the grocery section of the store and operated an up-to-date paint store called Joe Aboussafy's Hardware and Paint.

The Aboussafys' glowing reputation kept them at this location until 1964 when the business changed hands and became Hanson's Paint and Wallcovering Ltd.
From the plaque at the building
Type of Marker: Cultural

Sign Age: Historic Site or Building Marker

Parking: Street parking is available on the block

Placement agency: City of Wetaskiwin and the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation

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