1873 – Present
Van Valkenburg & Son Jewellers is one of the Forest area’s oldest businesses. In 1873, George M. Van Valkenburg opened the first recorded jewellery and watch making store in Forest, Ontario. The store was originally located where Woodward’s Service Centre is now; on the south side of King Street. In 1905, the store moved to about where the Travel Agency now is.
George’s eldest son, Glen, bought the business in 1921. Glen was a graduate of a course in “Optics, Sight Testing, and Correction of Visual Defects due to Errors of Refraction Accommodation and Convergence”. According to an old newspaper advertisement, Glen was the only person certified in such a field in all of Bosanquet, Plympton and Warwick townships! There was no charge for eye testing, and glasses ran from twenty-five cents to six dollars. Glen’s brother Charles was also a part of the business. In 1906, the store moved to 4 King St., on the north side of the street, where it still operates today.
The third generation of Van Valkenburg’s, George (Glen’s son), became an optometrist and took over the jewellery store in 1942. Dr. Carl Mundy later took over the position of optometrist from George.
George’s son Craig entered the family business in 1956 as a watchmaker. While George and Craig were running the store in 1962, renovations were made, doubling the size of the store. Van Valkenburg’s bought the store next door in 1970, which again doubled the size of the original store. The last addition was in 1975, which added more room to the back of the store.
Glen Van Valkenburg, Craig’s son, became the manager of the store in 1985 after graduating from the University of Windsor with an Honors Degree in Business Administration. Glen also completed several jewellery manufacturing and repair courses. The store could then boast clock, watch, optical and jewellery repair. In 1995 the store was completely renovated, getting new flooring, display cases and wall units. The store has gotten out of the optometry business as Dr. Mundy became ill and stopped coming to Van Valkenburg’s in 1998. The business expanded in 1999 when Craig and Glen bought Carolyn’s China & Collectables in Sarnia. Glen has just recently started selling jewellery at Carolyn’s.
Van Valkenburg & Son Jewellers still sells what it first did in 1873; watches, clocks, fine jewellery, fine china, silver, crystal, and giftware, with a few additions in merchandise. In their 129h year, Van Valkenburg & Son Jewellers’ is one of the oldest businesses still thriving in the Forest area.
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