Ratté’s celebrates 60 years in the community

Over the past sixty years, Ratté’s variety store has been the place where families go to stock up on back to school supplies. From its grand opening with back-to-school specials in 1958 to the official anniversary this past August 21, the store at the heart of Ormstown has been a mainstay for the community. When Mr. Fernand Ratté opened his store in Ormstown, his third after starting businesses in St-Lambert and Longueuil, he worked especially hard to build a positive reputation for himself. And, as the adage would suggest – if you can’t find it at Ratté’s, you likely don’t need it. Always attentive to what his customers were looking for, the store policy remains to this day that if there happens to be something you cannot find, they will order it for you. “It is our clients who have kept us going,” says François Ratté, the son of Fernand, who joined the family business in 1985, convinced of the potential to continue to grow the store. “I was a client first,” he laughs, suggesting like so many other young boys he was especially familiar with the section where the model cars and planes were stocked. His love for the store became a shared passion with his father, who at over 85-years-old still spends two days a week at work where he continues to enjoy meeting with clients. His mother Denise is also often found behind the front counter. A part of the community “We all have good memories,” admits François, who considers the 1998 ice storm as one of the finest moments for the store. As the building is on the same electricity line as the Barrie Memorial Hospital their power was restored quickly, and as one of the only stores able to be open in the area, they were able to help many looking for emergency provisions. A store as community-focused and driven as Ratté’s is hard to find and especially rare given the predominance of large chains and the slow disappearance of family-run stores. “They are very friendly and we always receive excellent service,” says Karyne Barré of Ormstown, who has been shopping at Ratté’s with her family since 1975. François has only kind words to say of his community, the clients, and his many exceptional employees. In fact, a large number were there on Tuesday morning to help the Ratté family celebrate this milestone. “It is not like in the city,” says François. “The employees are very loyal,” he adds, crediting his whole team with the success of the store over the years. “There are so many things here that you can’t find anywhere else,” says Isabelle, who has been working at Ratté’s for 18 years. “People come here first to find what they are looking for,” she adds, suggesting that is no minor feat for a small store. And, with such support from the community, there is no reason to think Ratté’s will be disappearing any time soon.