George's Store
George’s Store was one of Eganville’s most striking landmarks, a towering five-storey structure built in 1871 by William George. With its two towers joined by a bridge over the Queen Street entrance, the building quickly earned the name “George’s Hill.” The basement served as a furnace room, the next level stored grain and housed a tailor’s shop, while the street-level floor operated as a bustling general store. The George family lived on the upper floors, making the building both a business hub and a home.
By 1907, the store had become a thriving enterprise. An entry in the Renfrew County Industrial paper noted:
“This establishment has had a career of unbroken prosperity and its trade has reached extensive proportions. There is a grain warehouse in connection, with large dimensions...the business is under the management of Mr. Leo George. The stock carried embraces dry goods, groceries, flour, hay and grain and general merchandise. Here is also handled ales, wines, liquors and tobaccos. The goods are sold at both wholesale and retail. The highest price is paid for product of all kinds.”
Beyond its commercial role, the store also offered space for the community. The east section, known as George’s Hall, hosted hockey and baseball club meetings, lively St. Patrick’s Day concerts, and the popular St. James Church bazaar—a nine-day event filled with entertainment, “fancy tables,” refreshments, and prizes. In 1904, the hall also introduced Eganville to its very first moving picture, brought in by the New York Amusement Agency.
When William George passed away at the age of 53, the business continued under his widow and sons. The Georges expanded into lumber, liquor, and wholesale trade, later partnering in ventures such as Dominion Distilleries of Winnipeg. At their height, the family operated several general stores across Montreal, as well as branches in Eganville, Killaloe, Ottawa, St. John, New Brunswick, and even St. Pierre and Miquelon. Basil and Greg George, sons of the enterprising founder, later pursued extensive interests in the mining fields of Northern Ontario and Rouyn.
From its soaring towers on Queen Street to its reach across Canada and beyond, George’s Store stood as a bold testament to ambition and enterprise in Eganville’s early years.
