Retirement is Ideal for Queen Street store owners (3 photos)

Cousins Julia Lamberts and Janice Gagnon literally grew up in the Sault Ste. Marie retail scene, their mothers — who were sisters — owned and operated The Ideal, a mini department store in the James Street area which closed in the late 1950s.

The cousins — who say they grew up more like sisters — grew up in the store, went to school together in Toronto and worked together as nurses at Sault Area Hospital.

For the past 28 years, Julia and Janice have operated Ideal Concept In Gift Giving — specializing in gifts and gift baskets — named in honour of their mothers’ store in Jamestown.

Janice said the pair still get along, even after all those years together.

“For some reason we’re not sick of each other. Our personalities are really different. Julia is really outgoing and good with the customers, I stay in the back and don’t do customers unless she’s not here but I do all the baskets and designing,” said Janice.

Julia said after 28 years, the pair felt it was time to move on and retire.

“We’re going to enjoy our grandchildren and I have a big trip planned,” said Julia.

Janice has eight grandchildren, while Julia has two.

“I’ll never catch up,” quipped Julia.

The store operated by their mothers in Jamestown — years prior to its redevelopment — specialized in clothing, thread, greeting cards and the like.

The Ideal was located just across the street from a grocery store, owned and operated by their fathers.

“Our grandfather had it first, then our fathers,” said Janice.

Entrepreneurism continues to run in the family, one of Julia’s daughters — Dr. Bridgette Lamberts — opened a periodontics practice further west on Queen Street.  

Ideal Concept In Gift Giving began in Julia’s house before moving to King Street soon after.

The current 724 Queen Street location opened in 1990 and the pair say they were the first to bring gourmet food baskets to the Sault.

“When we started nobody else was doing that,” said Janice.

The store will close permanently this Saturday, all inventory and fixtures are being liquidated this week at deep discounts.

Janice said the pair have met a lot of good people over the years, one customer even broke into tears in the store this week.

Like Julia, Janice is ready for retirement.

“It will be nice to not have to get up to go to work,” said Janice.