The headline in the Nov. 6, 1974 edition of Northern Life read, "Silverman's: an unhappy ending."
Silverman's employees, members of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, Local 579, went on strike for eight weeks in August 1974. A few weeks after they agreed to return to work in October, Peter Silverman, the grandson of the founder, announced the Sudbury landmark store, established in 1892, was closing.
Silverman told Northern Life he was not a "charitable foundation," and that the store was not profitable facing competition from national chains like Sears and Eaton's.
Quoting from the news article, "When Silverman's Department Store employees went on strike last August, the philosophical point of no return had been reached. Staff said Peter Silverman was trying to break their union. Peter Silverman said if he met the union's non-negotiable demands, the store would close."
Employees were asking for a 50-cent-an-hour raise over minimum wage. In July 1974, minimum wage was $2.15 per hour.
The going-out-of-business sale at Silverman's caused traffic jams downtown.
In 1985, the Silverman family sold the Elm Street building to Ilyas Essajee, who leased it to Bargain Harold's and to Muirheads.
"We (Muirheads) rented the basement and second floor for our furniture inventory while Bargain Harold’s was on the main floor," said John Querney, whose family owned Muirheads, another business with a long history in the city.
The Querneys bought the Silverman's building in 2010 and opened Querney's Office Plus.
The elevator is still there. A distinctive wall mural has survived and is hauntingly beautiful. The Silverman's "S" logo remains on the front door handles at 67 Elm St.
Many readers shared pleasant memories of the department store that advertised itself as the "Greatest Store in Northern Ontario."
Linda Tonon Gauthier recalled a special Christmas gift for her mom purchased at Silverman's.
"It was where my father, despite our meager means, on Christmas Eve purchased my mother a chocolate brown wool coat with a massive silver fox collar. She wore it for many years after his death. It now belongs to my sister, Laura.
"Silverman's was not merely a shop … it was the embodiment of our hopes and dreams. To this day, at some point on Christmas Eve, I walk my dog and stand in front of what once was Silverman's and remember the day my mom looked like a movie star."
When introducing the Memory Lane feature Oct. 30, Sudbury.com mistakenly referred to Silverman's as the Walmart of its day. Tonon Gauthier corrected us. "Silverman's was considered to be more like Saks or Neiman Marcus of its time. To equate Silverman's to Walmart is egregious."
Sudbury dentist Dr. Roch St-Aubin met his future wife at Silverman's.
"I worked at Pit Stop (teens' fashions) as a teenager in high school and remember it as a fun place to work. There was this gorgeous blonde working at Music World. I hoped she would take her break at the same time as I did so I could get a chance to talk to her. Fast forward to today. We have been married for 39 years and have two fantastic children. She is a lawyer who practised for 20 years, then carried out institutional work for another 10. I've been a dentist in Sudbury since 1986. Thank you Silverman’s for allowing us to meet. Hi to Lydia, Bob, Ken, Mike, Bunty, Pia, Helen, Ulf and Charlene."
Rolly Corbeil worked at Silverman's. "Great story on Silverman's brings back some wonderful memories. I was one of the last managers to leave. It was really a sad time but life goes on. I probably could write a book on those last few months and why it closed but it doesn't much matter anymore."
Ido Vettoretti knew the Silverman family. "As a young immigrant child in the 1950s, I will always remember how generous and trusting the Silverman family was. They would always stop to talk to my mother and father in the store and provide clothing material without credit. They would say to my mother and father when they first landed in Sudbury with little money from Belgium 'pay us when you can.'
“Of course, my parents would pay immediately when they had money. This relationship carried on for many years with my brother and I getting our first summer jobs cutting grass at the Silverman estate on Ramsey Lake. My mother would spend Saturday mornings happily taking care, without charge, of Mrs. Silverman's roses that won many horticultural prizes. A close relationship that carried on for many years that simply started upstairs at Silverman's.”
Don Pickard was assistant manager of ladies’ wear. "My mother, Margaret Pickard, worked in Silverman’s office when she moved to Sudbury in the early 1930s. She always spoke highly of Saul Silverman. I joined Silverman's as assistant manager of the ladies’ wear department on the second floor in 1958 after completing the merchandise administration course at Ryerson in Toronto.
“At that time, the Silverman family resided in Toronto most of the time. The store was managed by Jim Price, a great guy to have as a boss. While attending Ryerson, I would often return home to Sudbury for the weekend and would work at the store on Saturday. They paid my train fare as part of my pay. Many fond memories of those days."
Numerous readers made comments about the store's elevator, one of the first in the city, and the memorable elevator operator.
Cynthia Burton wrote: "I remember being fascinated by the elevator with the gated door. I was told that when I was a young child I left my mother in Kresge's and went across Elm Street by myself and into Silverman's so I could watch the elevator. I think I caused my mother some distress, but she did find me soon after. It is sad that Silverman's did not stay open longer. I really liked that store."
Linda Lachance remembered: "Silverman's was the place where we got our Girl Guide, Brownie and Boy Scout uniforms. I also remember the great fabric department and, of course, the man who ran the elevator with the open gate."
Marjorie Powell wrote: "Living in Massey, it was so exciting for us to shop at Silverman's. However, as kids, we were more excited about the elevator and the gentleman that operated it."
Dorothy Vildaer shared: "I have a new pair of nylons still in the original package from Silverman’s that I found in my mom’s belongings after she passed away some 25 years ago. I had completely forgotten about them until I was reading your story about Silverman’s. I remember going in the elevator and going floor to floor. It’s too sad to think that all the good stores had to go. I’m 71 and the memories of downtown are still in my head. I'm sending you a picture of the nylons."
The next installment of Memory Lane runs Oct. 30. We can’t wait to see what Vicki Gilhula comes up with.
Vicki Gilhula is a freelance writer in Greater Sudbury. She writes mostly about history for Sudbury.com. Memory Lane is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
