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Shocking! PAGE 10 â€"â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 1986 Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staff Hard to believe,. but yes, Wallar‘s is closing *‘Opening the Waterloo store was one of the biggest shocks of my life. We‘d worked night and day to get it openâ€"the floor wasn‘t laid until two in the morning. But that morning, May 22, 1949, people were already waiting at the door, and I discovered we didn‘t have any change. The In short, it‘ll be a much easier and quieter life than Harold has lived since 1946 when he, a graduate of the University of Western Ontario‘s business school, and his then partner David Rubinoff, opened Walray‘s, a Strathroy ladies‘ wear store and the first of a chain of five stores. Two years later the partners opened their second store, in Waterloo, the first fullâ€"line ladies‘ wear store in the city. *‘Why wouldn‘t we? It‘s been long enough," added Elizabeth. "We‘re just beginning a new chapter of our lives now." When? Wallar‘s will close its doors August 31. The building, said Elizabeth, has been bought by a local businessman who plans to open another ladies‘ wear shop. What are they going to do? Anything and everything they want to: travel (Harold has long had a desire to see Australia and New Zealand); a lot more golfing and curling, which both the Wallars enjoy; visiting their family, especially Elizaâ€" beth‘s 88â€"yearâ€"old mother and their twoâ€" andâ€"aâ€"halfâ€"yearâ€"old grandson, Chrisâ€" topher. Almost everyone reacts the same way to the news that Harold and Elizabeth Wallar will be closing their Uptown Waterloo ladie‘s wear store next monthâ€"they‘re shocked. It‘s understandable, when you reâ€" member that the Wallars, and their Wallar‘s Ladies Wear, have been cornerâ€" stones of the Waterloo retail community for almost 40 years. "I can‘t go anywhere now where people don‘t say ‘I hear you‘re retiringâ€"why, when, how, what are you going to do?" said Elizabeth. "I can‘t believe the interest there‘s been." Why? As Harold said, "I‘m tiredâ€"â€"I‘ve been coming into the store every morning now for almost 40 years, and now I want to take the time to do all those things I‘ve never had the time to do before." The answers to those questions are simâ€" ple. ALAN RIGBY‘S = Laâ€"Zâ€"Boy Gallery e 46 King St. N. Waterloo Serving You For 27 Years ,____886â€"2040. Free Parking Front and Rear 2 WEEKS ONLY WAREKHOUSE Recliners o Wall Recliners e Love Seat grclinm © sleep SO'IS aA e Rocker |[im stoRt LAâ€"Zâ€"BO0Y m ‘50 â€" 5200 SALE Elizabeth and Harold Wallar will be starting a new chapter in their life next month when they close their ladies wear store after almost 40 years in business. Melodee Martinuk photo banks didn‘t open until 10, so we scrounged store, but he also married Elizabeth, a lab everything we could from all the girls‘ technician who he had met when she did purses, and opened up," said Harold. some modelling at a Walray‘s (Strathroy) 1948 was a big year for Harold in another fashion show. " 1948 was a big year for Harold in another way. Not only did he open the Waterioo OFF 177 PARK ST. WATERLOO "It‘s Our Grand Opening Save $10.00 (at Park Place Hair Design) (Valid now through Aug. 31/86) want o e Create nails over split, broken or bitten nails e Repairs are FREE e We do any length you NOW $25.00 on a new set of Solar Nails Reg. $35.00 By Bev & Mary Lou Appointments Taken Please Phone 578â€"1771 D ES IG N R E A T IV E N A IL ‘‘The store had a fashion show, and I was St. John‘sâ€"Kilrmarnock School e Advanced level courses & Advanced credits at Grade 8 level, Senior Campus * Extensive music, drama and athletic programs e Small classes Transgortation provided: Senior Camrus from Guelph and ambn‘dfe; Junior Campus from Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge and Erin areas. LIMITED OPENINGS FOR THE 1986â€"87 SCHOOL YEAR SENIOR CAMPUS (Coâ€"Ed Grades 8â€"13) 4 FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION, CONTACT Both Harold and Elizabeth admit that final closing day will be a bittersweet experience for themâ€"while they are an‘kâ€" ious to begin that new chapter in their lives, they know they will miss being in the store and the many. people they‘ve dealt with during the past 38 years. To those the Wallars extend a heartfelt thank you and goodbye. 4 ‘‘They‘ve been good years, and we‘ve had a lot to be thankful for," concluded Elizabeth. "We‘re very grateful to our loyal customers and our loyal sales staff. We‘ll miss them." *‘Once they got to know you, they were loyal. In the old days if you dealt fairly and squarely people came back. (In fact) some of the people we‘re dealing with now, are second and even third generation," said Harold. In those early years of the Walray‘s chain, Harold spent most of his life in his car, travelling up to 1,000 miles a week from store to store. However, the rapid expansion was beginning to alarm Harold, who argued for more restricted growth and a "tighter operation.‘"‘ By 1949 he had decided to dissolve the partnership with Rubinoff. That February Harold . and Elizabeth purchased the Waterloo store and renamed it Wallar‘s Ladies Wear. That‘s what it‘s been ever since. â€" *""I opened the store up and got married less than a month after that. Boy, did I have nerve," added Harold. According to Elizabeth "there wasn‘t much to Waterloo" when they opened Wallar‘s. Trolleys travelled King Street, only as far as University Avenue, and the city‘s population hovered at the 10,000 mark. Waterloo was very much a "small town"‘ and like any newcomer to a small town, the Wallars had to "prove themâ€" selves." They did. The Wallars joined clubs, became a part of the community, and by giving their customers "personâ€" alized" service earned the loyalty ef their customers. asked to model. That‘s how we met," recalled Elizabeth. "After the show Harold‘s father took me out for coffeeâ€"he always ribbed Harold that he‘d had a date with me first." *‘‘Waterioo was the nucleus of all the Walray‘s stores. It was the centre. When we married, we decided to come and live here. Waterloo was to only store to buy," said Elizabeth. Independent Day School Founded 1972 JUNIOR CAMPUS (St. John‘s Hall â€" Boys Grades 48) (St. Margaret‘s Hall â€" Girls Grades 38)