Local grocer marks 90 years with meat counter celebration
Peter L. Smith
Published in the Pontiac Journal on March 26, 2025.
L’ISLE-AUX-ALLUMETTES — Francis Conroy, proprietor of Conroy’s Grocery,
celebrated his 90th birthday on Saturday, March 8, with family and friends in his
favourite place — behind the meat counter serving customers.
Family organized a meet-and-greet during regular business hours and served free coffee and cupcakes to all who stopped by to offer best wishes. Children from École Notre-Dame-de-Sacré-Cœur in Chapeau made Conroy a special birthday card for the occasion.
Francis has been serving up the best cuts of meat to his customers for 53 years
and has no plans to quit.
Living upstairs allows Francis to keep a close eye on the business. Over the past 53 years, he’s walked many miles up and down the 15 steps leading to his residence above the store.
Conroy’s has occupied its location at the intersection of Pembroke Road and St. Jacques Street since 1967, but a store has existed there since the 1930s. Francis bought the business from his sister Joan in 1972 but continued to work part time in Braeside for a few years after purchasing the retail outlet. Joan and her husband Henry Sallafranque worked in the business during its earlier years.
The store was called Chapeau Supply in the 1930s when the Raymond brothers, Moise
and Noel, operated it. The main level was a grocery store, while the upper level housed
a harness and shoe repair shop. The business was later sold to Pol Desjardins, Lorney Bechamp, Acey Nadeau, Maurice Allard and Thomas Fortune, who ran it for a number of years. Allard, the sole proprietor at the time, had the store demolished and rebuilt in 1967.
Photo – The Conroy family celebrates Francis’ 90th birthday at Conroy Grocery, March 8. (PS)
