Through the years – and some accounts say it dates back to 1791 – the distinctive stone structure on Old Hwy. 8 in Rockton has seen many uses. It was a tavern and inn during stagecoach days, a two-storey hotel with eight rooms to rent during the late 1890s, a grocery store in the early 1900s and more recently, a general store. While it still carries many staples such as milk, bread, eggs and other foodstuffs, the Rockton General Store and Deli has entered the 21st century and now offers a full deli with European meats and cheeses, sit-in and take-out lunches, video and DVD rentals, a gift shop with a wide assortment of novelties and books – plus a wide assortment of wares in keeping with the Dutch heritage of the store’s owners and new managers, Bill and Chris Janssen and their daughter, Tracie.

“There’s a real need for it,” Chris said of the varied selection of Dutch products that can be found in virtually every corner of the store, from its deli to its candy counter. The Brown Barrel Restaurant on Hwy. 8 near Sheffield once offered Dutch products but is now closed, she explained.

Douwe Egberts coffee imported from Holland is brewed fresh daily and Dutch pastries, including almond-filled bars and almond rings, are baked on site. Dutch Gouda can be found among the selection of cheeses and there’s dried sausage, or drooge metworst, as well as herring and smoked mackerel in the deli. At the candy counter, there are 30 varieties of licorice, or dropjes, to tempt the taste buds.

When Bill Janssen bought the store three years ago, it underwent extensive renovations. The aisles were widened, the ceiling was painted, the lighting was updated and new freezers were installed.
Janssen’s daughter, Tracie, said customers are pleased with the new look. They compliment her on the store’s cleanliness and the many new and unique products that line the shelves. Some stop by to pick up a deli sandwich for lunch or sit in the tearoom with a bowl of soup and a sandwich. Muffins, pies, cookies, apple turnovers and vanilla slices are featured on the dessert menu.

Tracie, a busy mother of four – she and her husband, Jeff Wagensveld, have two sets of twins, aged 13 and seven – likes her new role as store co-owner and manager. “I’m learning a lot as a I go along,” said the former stay-at-home mom, who enjoys the challenges of the new enterprise as well as meeting and talking with lots of people every day.

Her parents are also pitching in, helping whenever they can. Her mom, assistant director of care at the Fairview Mennonite Home in Preston, helps with the accounting and also mans the register from time to time. Her dad, a retired Bell employee who manages rental properties in Rockton and nearby St. George, does the same.

There’s an ABM in the store for customer convenience and a full-service post office is still located there.

Open during the winter months from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, the store has been under new management for the past three months. It’s currently decked out for the holiday season with many of its gift items focused on a Christmas theme.

The Janssens and Wagenvelds see the store as evolving to meet customer needs and are looking forward to upholding its long-held tradition of serving residents in the immediate community and surrounding area.