First Co-op Store

The First Co-op Store, which opened its doors in 1946, is a one-and-a-half-storey building located at 8 Patrick Jean Street in Saint-Quentin. Owned by the Coop le Tourbillon Ltée, it serves as a sheltered workshop for disabled persons.

The heritage value of the First Co-op Store as a local historic place resides in the significance of the co-operative movement in the development of rural communities. The Coopérative de Saint-Quentin Limitée was established in 1941. That same year, the buttery owned by Jean-Baptiste Chouinard was acquired. The first store opened in 1946 with the purchase of the Robert Lynch store. Also, in 1965, the Co-op bought the two warehouses at the railway station and converted them into a mill. By virtue of its various areas of activity, the Coopérative de Saint-Quentin lends its support to local businesses, mainly in the agricultural development sector. In 1987, the store moved to a secondary street, relocating to 8 Patrick Jean Street. Source: Société du Patrimoine de Saint-Quentin, Saint-Quentin, N.B.

The character-defining elements of the First Co-op Store include: - structure of the building, which is 9.14 m x 15.24 m; - symmetry in the arrangement of the openings in the face wall; - façade on the gable wall; - veranda on the main façade; - veranda on a side wall; - ramp for disabled persons providing access to the main entrance; - high 3.66-m ceiling covered with elaborate sheet metal.