Sarbit’s Department Store began in 1917 as a small grocery business founded by the Sarbit family. Over time the store evolved through new locations, rebuilds, and a major fire in 1954. Its development reflects both the growth of Selkirk and the resilience and contributions of families to the community.
446 Main St. / 439 Main St.
Sarbit’s Store Selkirk Legacy
Once described as “the largest independent [department] store in Western Canada,” Sarbit’s Department Store made a lasting impact on Selkirk and its community, according to Bruce Sarbit.
Sarbit’s Department Store –– also known over the years as Sarbit’s Store, Sarbit’s Supermarket, Sarbit’s Groceries, and Sarbit’s I.G.A. –– was owned by Bruce’s father, Syd Sarbit. Operating from its north Main Street location throughout the mid-20th century, the store sold dry goods, fresh groceries, clothing, and household items, becoming a cornerstone of local commerce.
Syd Sarbit was deeply involved in community life. He served as president of the Selkirk Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Rotary Club, chairman of the Senior Citizens Home Hard Building Committee, and as a member of the Interlake Fair committee.
The Sarbit’s Journey to Canada
The Sarbit family’s journey to Selkirk was far from easy. With Jewish roots in Russia, they lived through the attacks on Jewish families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1912, Jacob Sarbit, Syd’s father, was eligible for conscription and fled to Paris, France. Later, his cousin, Noah Sigalman, immigrated to Winnipeg from Palestine and learned that Selkirk, Man., was in need of a shochet–– a person officially certified to kill cattle and poultry in a manner prescribed by Jewish law. Jacob, who had been brought up in a religious training centre known as a yeshiva, was qualified for the role. Sigalman sponsored Jacob’s transport to Canada, where he settled in Selkirk and soon invited the rest of his family –– his wife Goldie and three children, Sylvia, Samuel, and Syd –– to join him.
In 1916, when Jacob’s family arrived in Montreal, authorities nearly denied them entry after Goldie was diagnosed with trachoma, a contagious bacterial eye infection. She underwent surgery, doctors cured the condition, and the family was officially en route to Selkirk.
In 1917, the Sarbits rented a building at the southeast corner of Morris Avenue and Main Street and opened their first grocery store. Over the years, their stock expanded to include clothing, and the business steadily grew. Merchandise was sourced from Winnipeg wholesalers and transported daily by streetcar before the family acquired their own vehicle. During this time, Jacob and Goldie welcomed two more children, Molly and Nate.
Sarbit’s sees Community Growth
Eventually, the family purchased their own building at the southwest corner of Morris Avenue and Main Street, living in part of the space while operating the store. Twenty years later, Sarbit’s clothing and dry goods sales continued to flourish, prompting the opening of a separate clothing location on Manitoba Avenue, while grocery operations remained on Main Street.
Sarbit’s Store first opened its doors in a facility on the east side of Main Street in 1917. In 1922, a new building was opened at the north Main Street location, and Syd eventually became manager in 1932.
In May 1954, a devastating fire tore through the store, nearly resulting in a total loss. A new building opened that November. A decade later, in May 1964, Sarbit’s expanded again, adding more than 10,000 square feet of space and tripling the size of the previous building. The remodel included a second-floor warehouse and a parking lot for 50 cars.
A reporter with The Selkirk Enterprise wrote, “The new addition and general remuddling program is struck with a feeling of airy spaciousness throughout every aisle and with more self-serve cooler displays along two walls, plus the larger personal service of the new meat section location in the new addition of the building.”
In 1954, the store employed nine people, a number that grew to nineteen by the grand reopening. Management and staff included: Mrs. Albina Cooper, Mrs. M. Hopps, Mrs. V. Brass, Mrs. Jean Kologinski, Mrs. B. Meier Sr., Miss N. Post, Miss M. Fey, C. Stevenson, T. Bray, Ben Meier Sr., Mort Bell, R. Molotosky, R. Cossack, R. Chabluk, C. Gagnon, B. Pruden, Gordon Brennen, Ben Meier Jr., Syd Sarbit, Roy Brass, R. McDonald, D. Herbert, W. Gagnon, and N. Youzwa.
Local contractors, subcontractors, labourers, and suppliers were used throughout the construction. The reporter added, “We are pleased in every respect with the workmanship and the keen spirit of conception which has made possible the opening of [the] new addition.”
When fire destroyed the building in 1954, Syd Sarbit was left with piles of rubble and heavy debt, as the store was uninsured. Once again, the community rallied behind him, offering financial support to rebuild. This support reflected the great relationship Syd had with the community, having been involved in the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Clubs. Sarbit’s reopened with I.G.A. as its wholesaler and went on to expand three or four additional times by 1965, cementing its place as a lasting symbol of resilience, community support, and local enterprise.
Sarbit’s Store Collection
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Sam (11) and Syd (7), 1919, Bruce Sarbit
Sources
Love, M., Winnipeggers recount experiences growing up in smaller communities
Howard, K., Stories of Selkirk’s Pioneers and their Heritage
