July 2, 2004 Powassan’s Oshell Valu-Mart Celebrates 50 years

Fifty years ago this month 30 year old Merv Oshell and his wife Rita opened a 1,500sq.ft. grocery store on the main street of Powassan.  A Reunion of the dozens of former employees will take place tomorrow evening at the Curling Club.  Music, food, speeches and a slide show of old photos will be featured.  A customer appreciation night on Aug 24 will feature food, music and reminiscences, so mark that date on your calendar. 

There were three other grocery stores in town in 1954.  Toswell’s (Shoe Inn) Cox’s (Stillar’s Plumbing) and Carnivals (Kwik-Way).  Now 50 years later after 7 expansions to 15,000sq.ft. Oshell’s Valu-Mart has 35 staff and provides outstanding modern service to Powassan and the surrounding area.  

Oshell's store then and now

In 1954 Merv Oshell had already had 2 careers – several years overseas in the army liberating Belgium and Holland and several years as a trucker.  Merv and his wife Rita bought a garage where the grocery store now stands but found a legal complication prevented them from opening it.  Rita had some experience in retail so they opened a Red & White grocery store.  They had their first child Peter in December and 4 others soon followed.  Hard work and friendly service paid off and this business prospered.  Rita did the bookkeeping. 

Merv was a firm believer in giving back to the community and ran for Powassan Council and won 4 years in a row and in his fifth year became mayor.  Council terms became 2 years in length and he won 4 more terms as mayor.  He was also active in the Lions club serving as President for 2 terms. 

Merv Oshell at work in the store

By 1980 Merv was ready to give the ownership to son Peter and continued to help where needed.  Peter’s wife Elaine does a lot of the accounting.  Peter became an innovator like his father.  In a recent interview he was excited about their new barbeque service and the pending replacement of the store’s freezers to expand service and operate more economically.  The store became a Valu-Mart store about the same time.  National Grocers has been their supplier from the start. 

Peter’s sister donna is Store manager and brother Paul provides leadership as necessary now that the store operates 7 days a week.  Countless people, including numerous relatives have worked at the store and more will gather to remember their experience. 

Merv led an active life after his retirement including following his pass-time of hunting and fishing and time at the cottage on Giesler Island.  In an article I wrote in Community Voices in March 2002 (#84 on my website) I had a picture of Merv and 2 other local veterans in Holland on the 50^th Anniversary of Holland’s liberation by the Canadians.  Merv also served as a founding member of the Board of the Terry McKerrow CAT Scan.  He passed away in August 2001.  Store staff lined the street in front of the store as his funeral passed. 

A store like Oshell’s is more than just a place to get groceries.  It is a place, like stores in other communities where you see friends, know where everything is and get service from people you know.  If the check out line gets long, and at times the place is very busy, there is always a quick response and another cash register opens. 

When I began to come to the area in summers in 1972 I started to get my groceries at Oshell’s and continued to do so when I retired in 1987 and moved here permanently.  One of the real pleasures of rural living is going into the Post Office, Library, Garage, Hardware and grocery stores where everyone knows your name – or at least your face.  Hopefully Oshell’s will continue to be a part of that tradition for many years to come.  Congratulations to Peter and his staff for a job well done.