John and Robert Greenlees came from Wiarton, where their parents had a store, around the late 1880’s. They bought a large tract of timber south of Miller Lake, on the West side of the road. They employed quite a few men and teams, and drew logs to Stokes Bay. At the same time they bought a large store here, where Jeanne Smith’s restaurant now stands, and their sisters, Jennie and Flo ran the store. It was a general store carrying everything from flour and feed to yard goods. The flour and feed came from the Robert Clements mill in Walkerton. Their mother did all the wholesale buying for both stores. Jennie took care of the books and paid the men in the timbering business. (They shipped their logs by scow to Southampton.) Later they built a mill at Red Bay and ran that for some time – the timber coming for the Miller Lake tract. Jennie Greenlees went to Red Bay and took care of the boarding house for the mill .. Flo Smith recalls going to Red Bay to work at their boarding house. (Flo Smith, Mrs. Hembruff of Dafter, Mich. Left Stokes Bay in 1905.

The Greenlees sold their store in 1896.

Page 72 of Benchmarks
A History of Eastnor Township and Lion’s Head
Compiled by The Eastnor & Lion’s Head Historical Society
Copyright 1987

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The Greenlees sold their store in 1986... The previous owners of their store were the McLayѺs. Mrs. McLay was a Miss. McBeth and taught school in Lindasy. They later moved to the Soo.

Storekeepers

The site of the Greenlees’ store and before that a hotel (on the site of the “Copper Kettle”).

Charlie McDonald store 1919-1920

Malcolm McIver store 1921-1922

James Rouse Store 1922-1925

Malcolm J. Smith store 1927-1931

Mrs. Jeanne Smith store 1931-1932

Page 84 of Old Timers’ Tales
A History of Stokes Bay and Area
(Bruce Peninsula)
By Helene Scott