This is an archived event from Culture Days 2025.
Images
Visit the Palermo Country Store
In-person
History & heritage Agriculture CraftDate and time
Location
Old Palermo Schoolhouse
2431 Dundas Street West
Oakville, ON
Directions: The old Palermo School house is located on the North side of Dundas east of Bronte Road. NOTE, traffic control barriers in the centre of Dundas only allow for access for west bound traffic into the schoolhouse! This is fine if you are travelling west, however eastbound visitors will have to turn around at the next traffic light at Palermo Park and come back west. Sorry but the price of growth... Parking is beside the schoolhouse.
Access
Free.
Offered in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and French.
Wheelchair accessible and has gender-neutral washrooms.
About
Open for 1 day on Sept 27th for the Goods for Display and Sale, come and visit!
Step back in time to the early 1900s at the Palermo General Store in Palermo, Ontario! The store was the heart of the community, serving as a vital hub for locals. The Post Office, the telephone, picture a quaint wooden building, its shelves brimming with an eclectic mix of goods that catered to every need.
Inside, you will find:
• Staples and Household Essentials
• Eaton’s, a local outlet for their ordered goods
• Hand made goods, made of bits and pieces as they once were,
• Household goods, fruit jars, laundry, soaps, candles, lamps
• Penny Candy station, Honey Sticks, sodas, honey
• Local Bulletin board
Shelves were lined with glass jars containing colourful candies and treats that delighted local children. In one corner, there might be a display of sturdy work boots and tools, essential for the farmers and craftsmen of the area.
The store was more than just a place to shop; it was a social gathering point where residents exchanged news, stories, and advice. It was where the community spirit thrived, fostering a sense of togetherness and mutual support.
Imagine the conversations, the friendly banter, and the shared moments that defined daily life. The Palermo General Store was more than just a store; it was a cornerstone of the local heritage, a testament to a simpler time when community and commerce were intertwined.
Links
Organizer
Trafalgar Township Historical Society
All of the community that we know as Oakville, Ontario was once Trafalgar Township. The political boundaries of Trafalgar Township ceased to exist with the amalgamation of the Township, and Oakville in 1962.
The Trafalgar Township Historical Society was established in January 2006, founded on the work of the Trafalgar 2000 Committee, a group of citizens who organized an event to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Trafalgar Township.
Our home is now in the Heritage Palermo One Room Schoolhouse, and home to our Culture day’s Events at 2431 Dundas Street West.
Palermo was one of the earliest towns in Trafalgar Township!
It once boasted:
- A foundry that riveled Massey Ferguson
- A medical school,
- Two schools, two hotels, two corner stores,
- A town hall, a temperance hall,
- Two churches, and their cemeteries.
Palermo was the first town in Trafalgar to install sidewalks and had the first school library and music program.
The old schoolhouse is our home and location for the Culture Days Events.
The society focuses on preserving heritage homes, and local history through research, hosting speakers, a monthly open house and maintaining an images site where we have scanned over 2,000 local photos and documents that are fully accessible to the public.
Check out our online archives here; https://tths.ca/our-images
You can also visit us at www.tths.ca or email [email protected] to join us.
This event is part of a hub:
Preserving the Agricultural History of North Oakville
Trafalgar Township Historical Society Oakville, ONExperience; - The Old Palermo Country Store, Goods from now and the old days! - The Old Schoolhouse the 1 room schoolhouse, chalkboards, wooden desks, spellers, the teacher, - Life on the Farm displays of early farming life see rope windi...