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Weaver & Devore was the first store in Yellowknife and was built on service to the customer, which maintains us as a leader in supplying Bush Orders.
A Brief History of Weaver & Devore
Harry Weaver was 19 years old when he left New York State in 1912 to come to
Northern Alberta to prospect for gold and trap. Bud Devore came from
Iowa via Chicago to Calgary, also in 1912. In 1916 they met in Peace
River, Alberta and formed a handshake partnership that lasted until
Harry's death in 1957.
Their first venture was the Beulah Boat Company, which freighted goods to farmers who lived along the
Peace River.
In 1933 they built new scows and used their push-boat to freight dry
goods and hardware from Peace River to Great Bear Lake via the Peace,
Slave, and McKenzie Rivers.
On their third trip, prospecting moved from Great Bear Lake to Great
Slave Lake with the discovery of gold and the staking of Con Mine. Harry
and Bud brought their barges full of goods into Yellowknife Bay and
Weaver & Devore Trading Ltd. was born. Harry sold goods out of one
of the barges while Bud and Mickey Hagen built the store out of logs.
Bud was a master carpenter and he used the lumber from the barge's deck
to make the floor of the store.
Harry and Bud operated the store together from 1936 to 1954, when Bud
sold his interest to Harry's son, Bruce, who had just married his wife
Irma.
Harry and Bruce operated the store together, with Bruce assuming a
dominant role until 1957 when Harry died. It was very fitting that Harry
passed away in his bed, which was upstairs in the store. Bud lived
with Harry's son, Don, in Peace River and lived
to a ripe old age of 95.
Bruce and Irma ran the store until Bruce's untimely death in 1975. By
this time Bruce and Irma had eight children (Ken, Bud, David, Bob, Bill,
Dallas, Terra and Roberta) and the store was a thriving business. From
1975 to the present time the store has been a family business with Ken,
Bud, and David running their various departments. Irma continued to act as "Chairman of the Board"
until she passed away peacefully in 2005. Bob, Bill, Dallas, and Terra own and operate Territorial
Beverages (Pepsi) under the leadership of Bob. Roberta, still maintaining her ownership share in the family business,
moved to British Columbia after working in the store for many years.
Weaver & Devore is currently a thriving business with almost 20 employees. We continue to supply
the remote diamond mines and exploration camps with groceries and dry goods. Many local residents enjoy
shopping at our store for high quality workwear and winter gear. |
