Written by BRIAN BOLT, The Sarnia Observer

(2000)  One of the oldest commercial shopping districts in Sarnia is today enjoying a renaissance as the home of smaller, independent owner-operated stores and services.
Mitton Street has been a shopping area in the city for 130 years. It was thriving through the 1950s and ’60s, featuring the Walker Brothers department and grocery stores. But like the rest of the city, it was hurt by an economic downturn in the 1980s and early ’90s, symbolized by the closing of Walker Brothers.
Now, the recent occupation of the old Walker Brothers premises by the Salvation Army Thrift Store has put the crowning touches on a successful redevelopment effort spearheaded by the Mitton Village Business Assocation. Today, the village includes about 95 retail and professional businesses, and virtually all the commercial space in the area is full, said Ginny Schleihauf, president of the business association.
New signs have been installed around the perimeter of the village area to welcome visitors and identify the shopping district. It extends along Mitton from south of Wellington Street up to the Sarnia General Hospital area, and includes streets that crossMitton.
Mitton Village started out as a commercial supply area after the building of the old plank road to connect the city and the oil well district in the county. The Sarnia section of the plank road is now Ontario Street, which intersects with Wellington and Mittonstreets. People started calling it “the red store corner” because of the red general store there, where people could pick up supplies before heading home to their farms in the country.
In the 1920s and ’30s, some industrial operations were established in the area, including the Goodison manufacturing firm. In 1929 a lodge was built on Mitton Street which also doubled as a dance hall and community centre.
After World War II, Mitton Street developed as a major retail and commercial area. Sarnia General Hospital expanded on the corner of George and Mitton streets, Walker Brothers became one of the most popular stores in town, and one of the first bowling lanes in Sarnia, the Pin Deck, was established on the street.
The downturn in the 1980s, however, saw some businesses closing, stores boarded up and property values declining. That trend was reversed in the 1990s with the influx of some new blood and investment. The business assocation promoted the area and new owners started buying up and renovating properties.
The low vacancy rate in the area now speaks for itself, said Schleihauf. People know it’s a good place to do business, and empty spaces don’t remain that way for long, she said.
The Mitton Village Business Association, which has been around since 1870, is a volunteer organization. Businesses donate whatever time and money they want to. Membership has doubled in recent years, said Schleifhauf, and financial support has been “outstanding.” That has allowed the association to do more advertising and promotion and make the area better known.
The association also co-ordinates special events in the area, such as the Christmas decorations and the old fashioned Christmas event, as well as the annual summer fair.
Merchants in Mitton Village are a close-knit group who can call each other by their first names and “genuinely do care for one another,” said Schleihauf. Many of them live within the area. The business association has a mentoring program where established merchants will pair up with a newcomer to offer advice and support.
The Mitton merchants know what each other sells, and can direct shoppers to the store that has what they’re looking for, said Schleihauf. The association puts out a directory of businesses in the area.
Shopping in Mitton Village is a “personable experience,” she said. She believes many people are starting to get tired of malls, and prefer wandering from shop to shop. Personal service is a drawing card as well. Because most businesses are owner operated, the owner is in the store from 9 to 5, and the product knowledge is certainly there, she said.
People also like the fact that the village is a collection of “specialty shops,” each unique in its own right, said Schleihauf. There’s an international flavour to many of the businesses.
Sarnia’s only farmers’ market has been and remains a staple of the village, and is active in the association. It’s a huge drawing card and a great social place. People come there to visit as well as shop, she said.
Janet Burgess is one of those who chose to locate a store in Mitton Village. She opened Table Grace just over three years ago. It was partly because she lives nearby and walking to work is a real bonus, said Burgess. She also likes the independence she has, as opposed to being in a mall, and she likes the street shopping aspect of it.
She believes personal service is the top priority for customers shopping in the village. You’re almost always dealing with the owner when you go into a store, she said. There’s also a relaxed, take your time atmosphere.
The village offers a wide enough selection of businesses to draw from all different markets, young or old, male or female, she said. More recently, merchants are starting to see some Americans in the area.
Burgess said her own business has been growing substantially each year.
“That’s why I’m still here.”