I well remember the first time I met Tom Schmitke. This was some time after he had made his first trip to Niverville back in the spring of 1999. He and his wife Bonnie had come from Oakville, Manitoba to take a look at an opportunity which The Grocery People, the parent company for the Bigway chain, had drawn his attention to.
The Schmitkes walked through the old grocery store located at the corner of Prairie Trail (then known as First Avenue North) and Main Street, on the property where the car wash presently sits. As Tom drove out of Niverville that day, he told Bonnie, “I will never buy that store.”
Fast-forward several weeks later, when the CEO of The Grocery People called Tom personally and asked him to go back to Niverville and take another look. Tom was adamant that he had seen enough, but he finally agreed to go back.
This time, their drive included a trip into the residential part of the community. When they returned to Oakville that day, the atmosphere in the car was different. Tom and Bonnie had realized that an opportunity existed here, and they wanted to be a part of it.
Within a few weeks, they purchased the store and made plans to move to Niverville.
Tom was born in Snowflake, Manitoba, but raised in Portage la Prairie and had been involved in retail his whole life. Bonnie was born in Wainwright, Alberta, and had also been in retail. In fact, she had been working in the town’s theatre when she caught Tom’s eye. They started dating and eventually moved to Fort McMurray in 1984 where they married and had two children, John and Crystal. A move back to Portage la Prairie in 1987 provided them with their first experience with grocery retail, which grew into a passion that continues to this day.
Their move to Niverville coincided with the start of the town’s population growth. I was mayor at the time, and together with council we met Tom after he purchased the store. We saw something in him and felt he would be a really good fit for Niverville. Our community needed someone who was passionate about the grocery business and wanted to expand to create a better shopping experience here. Council then presented to Tom an opportunity that led to the new store being built at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Main Street in 2003.
Within two years of living here, both Bonnie and Tom became active in the Olde Tyme Country Fair. Bonnie decided to take responsibility for all the food on Friday nights, with crowds numbering into the thousands. She and Tom felt a great sense of fulfillment being on the street and mingling with the people.
Around that time, Tom agreed to sit on the board of the Niverville Heritage Centre, a position which he still serves in today. He mentions the incredible circumstances and sense of community that came with the building of the Heritage Life Personal Care Home.
Tom and Bonnie say that Niverville taught them what real community is all about. They speak about the gift that this community had been to them as a family. Indeed, the community has seen this in the way they have lived their lives. Countless organizations and people have been the beneficiaries of their generosity. They have always been there to support community causes, to support charity fundraisers, and to reach out to families in need with money or groceries.
When I asked them if I could write this story, their response was typical of people who give of themselves for the right reasons. They said they would rather not be written about, as there are so many others who are worthy of being honoured.
That’s at the heart of what it means to be a community builder. When you live your life to be recognized, you’re never satisfied and every slight can become an offence. However, when you give without the need for recognition, you demonstrate a servant’s heart.
Thank you, Tom and Bonnie, for your generosity. It has been such a gift to our community.
