Fresh start Expanded new Vic’s Market location offers shoppers ‘more of everything’ By: David Sanderson Posted: 9:41 PM CST Friday, Dec. 16, 2022

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This article was published 15/12/2022 (643 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s pretty much a guarantee Vic’s Market will still be sporting that new-store smell when it toasts its 65th anniversary a few weeks from now.

On Monday, the Fort Garry fixture relocated from its 36-year home on the east side of Pembina Highway, to a near twice-the-size, freshly built, 7,000-square-foot facility directly across the street at 1049 Pembina Hwy., on the former site of the Original Pancake House’s flagship restaurant and accompanying parking lot.

Late last week, Scott Schriemer, whose father Wietze (Vic) Schriemer founded his namesake biz in 1958, called the reason for the move a “unique constellation of events.”

Standing near the glassed-in vestibule of his yet-to-open premises, where he was forced to step aside every few seconds to allow a steady stream of delivery personnel by, he said the writing was on the wall in July 2021, when he learned his now-former landlord, who owns the neighbouring Cambridge Hotel, intended to raze the venerable watering hole and replace it with a six-storey residential building.

Although an offer to remain was on the table, all Schriemer could think was, “There goes parking… there goes easy access.” That was when he enlisted a real estate agent, asking what his options were if he wanted to stay in the neighbourhood.

“It wasn’t like the Pancake House was even on the market yet, but I guess he’d heard through the grapevine that the owner, who lived in Ottawa, was considering selling,” said Schriemer, 51, a married father of seven who succeeded his brother Trevor as owner in 2000, six years after Trevor took over from their dad when the elder Schriemer retired.

“He suggested cold-calling him, which is precisely what we did. We bought the property in October (2021), and had shovels in the ground the second week of February (2022).”

Wietze Schriemer was born and raised in the Netherlands. In 1955, two years after he joined an older brother in Winnipeg, he purchased an existing truck route that saw him delivering wholesalers’ fresh produce to retailers across the city.

“One morning, one of my dad’s clients said if he was going to live in Canada he’d need a different name, and going forward, he was going to call him Vic, to which my dad said, ‘Sure,’” his son said with a chuckle.

The elder Schriemer established a small roadside stand, dubbed Vic’s Fruit Market, in 1958. That led to “the shack,” a structure he was able to load onto a flatbed truck and transport from place to place.

“His original spot was at the corner of Point Road and Pembina,” his son explained. “From there he went to McGillivray (Boulevard) and Pembina, and later, the corner of Chevrier (Boulevard) and Pembina.”

In 1986, the Cambridge’s owner approached the elder Schriemer with a proposal. How would he like to put down permanent roots inside his neighbouring property? “It’s a deal,” Vic told him.

Schriemer started working for his father at age 12. Over time, he came to know many of their regulars, along with their children, on a first-name basis. When news broke in the spring that Vic’s would be shifting operations 30 metres due west, almost to a person they let him know how important it was that he maintain the boutique store’s “market feel.”

He assured them he would continue to stock everything Vic’s had become known for, namely, fresh fruits and vegetables, locally produced foodstuffs and prepared-in-store meals such as lasagna and chicken fingers.

Only now, he would be able to offer “more of everything,” he assured them.

Not that there weren’t a few hiccups along the way. Just like Joe Public, he had to contend with numerous supply-chain issues that pushed an anticipated September opening back a few months.

Take his flooring, for example. No sooner had he and his wife picked out tiles than they were informed the style they were interested in was unavailable, unless they were prepared to wait a year.

Longtime customer Suzanne (last name withheld) wasn’t sure what to expect when she paid a visit to the new Vic’s early Monday morning.

“I live nearby and often walked or biked to the old store,” she said on her way back to her vehicle, lowering a cloth bag to show off some of what she had picked up, including a dozen free-run eggs, a litre of organic milk, asparagus and a block of Bothwell cheese.

“I was a bit worried when I heard it was going to be larger — the last thing we need is another Superstore — but once I was inside, it didn’t feel too big at all.”

The increase in natural light was probably the first thing she noticed, along with how it still felt homey, despite being — “How long has it been?” — two hours old.

“It’s great; I’ll probably be back tomorrow,” she said with a chuckle.

Schriemer, who continued on a month-to-month lease while the multimillion-dollar construction project was being completed, has a few other plans for the weeks and months ahead.

Come next spring, he intends to introduce a greenhouse on the west side of the building, as well an al fresco café right off the front doors. He is also hoping pending provincial legislation gets passed, which will make it possible for him to add wine to the mix, something he’s been crossing his fingers over for years. (Past that, he hopes to avoid doing what he’s already done a number of times: miss the turn to the parking lot, as accustomed to his old work commute as he had become.)

“There are people who’ve asked why I’d want to basically start over at this stage of my life, except at the age of 51, I’m nowhere near ready to retire,” he said, mentioning five of his children currently work for him, as part of a 13-person staff.

“My nephew Nick is here, too — he’s probably the one who’s going to run things eventually — and that’s ultimately the biggest reason to continue on. That and I want to continue serving this community, and didn’t want a good business, one that’s provided our family with so, so much, to fall by the wayside.”

david.sanderson@winnipegfreepress.com