Here Hasn’T Been a Lot of Things to Get Excited About Lately,” He Said
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A4 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2020 MONTREAL GAZETTE CITY Richard Hennick, left, and his son Jordan run Hemsleys jewelry store. The business, which was established in Old Montreal in 1870, marks its 150th anniversary this year. PIERRE OBENDRaUF Osheaga takes A PRICELESS chance, announces 150 YEARS headliners for 2021 Foo Fighters, Cardi B, Post Malone booked for 15th edition of music festival OF HISTORY T’CHA DUNLEVY “There hasn’t been a lot of things to get excited about lately,” he said. Local institution Hemsleys adapts to changing times Call it a little ray of sunshine from “Everyone is hopeful that life will deep within the red zone of the return to normal someday.” pandemic, amid the cold and grey Part of the reason for the an- T’CHA DUNLEVY Simpsons, Consumers (Distrib- with pictures and a 1971 newspa- of December. nouncement was to reassure the uting), Peoples, Mappins, Kerns.” per article about the clock. Osheaga announced its 2021 10,000 ticket-holders who still Richard Hennick had a nine-month The family bought several jew- “We probably have close to 1,000 headliners on Monday morning. haven’t sought refunds following advertising campaign lined up to elry stores over the next few de- products on there, and we’re add- Foo Fighters, Cardi B and Post this year’s non-festival, and whose mark Hemsleys’ 150th anniversary. cades; only Hemsleys, which they ing every day,” Jordan said of the Malone will top the bill on (respec- tickets are still good for next year. “We’re the oldest jeweller in acquired in 1960, is still going. website. tively) Friday, Saturday and Sunday, “We wanted to let them know Canada,” Hennick said of his store, Hennick swears it’s sheer co- There’s a lot more to go. The July 30 to Aug. 1. Fingers crossed. who’s playing, to give them a rea- which first opened in Old Montreal incidence that he shares Richard company’s expanded suburban Tickets went on sale Mon- son to hold on to their tickets, and in 1870. Hemsley’s first name and initials. locale allows the Hennicks to carry day morning for the festival’s give other people reasons to come.” Hemsleys added an “uptown” lo- “Five kids in my family, and I’m far more product than they used to, long-awaited 15th edition, at the Farkas is the first to admit that cation at University St. (now Rob- the one who ended up here,” he and a broader range, catering to all cost of $325 for all three days. Os- under the circumstances, reveal- ert-Bourassa Blvd.) and Ste-Cath- said. types of customers. heaga is offering a four-payment ing the headliners for a massive erine St. in the early 1930s and Fate surely had a hand in it. He “We tailor to anybody from a $50 plan until Jan. 15, and a two-pay- summertime gathering of almost headed for the ’burbs in 2004. met Iris, “a Chomedey girl,” within price point to $25-$30-$40,000,” 50,000 people per day is a rather “We had the whole (campaign) six months of arriving in Montreal Jordan said. “Sometimes you can large leap of faith. planned with the Gazette,” Hen- to find a new manager for the store. get into six figures, for something “Obviously, we know what’s hap- nick continued. “We were going He never left. custom-made. But what’s nice is, We’re very pening in the world right now,” he to start the rollout beginning in Hennick still takes calls for “Mr. whether it’s a $50 purchase or said. “We’re all living it. We knew March. We’ve been advertising Hemsley,” playfully informing cus- $50,000 purchase, you get the c onscious that if (the question of whether the fes- with the Gazette for over 60 years. tomers that the man they’re look- same attention to detail, the same people don’t feel tival will realistically take place) When the store was downtown, we ing for died nearly 90 years ago, in packaging. We try to do the same would come up. used to run full-page ads like they 1931. (The store was then sold to the thing for everybody, no matter how safe, they’re not “What we’re trying to do is to say were going out of style.” Herman family — again with the H!) much you’re spending.” going to come. we’ll put on a safe festival, with- The pandemic put a damper on The year before his death, the A self-professed “watch geek,” in whatever parameters we’re the celebrations but, following a Gazette published Hemsley’s au- Jordan has refined Hemsleys’ And if it’s not allowed to. But we have to move two-month shutdown at the begin- tobiography. Hennick has a time- watch selection in the decade he safe, we won’t be on. We have to continue to work ning of the lockdown, Hemsleys is worn, autographed copy in his of- has been at the store. on this. We can’t wait until the back in business, and business is fice, dedicated to then-mayor of “Back in 1989, when we renovat- doing a festival. perfect time; it’s not the reality of steady. Westmount, George Hogg. ed the (downtown) store, our most how things are programmed. A lot Customers filtered into the fami- As for his family’s connection expensive watch was a Movado at ment plan from Jan. 16 to April 15. of work goes into it.” ly-run store, just off Highway 40 in to Hemsley’s name and legacy, he $995,” said his father. “We had re- Foo Fighters are the only car- Announcing the headliners is no Pointe-Claire, last Thursday after- feels it every day. ally stepped into the big leagues. ry-over from last summer’s guarantee that Osheaga will take noon. Hennick and his son Jordan “It’s the same group of faces Now our watches go from $400 to COVID-cancelled event, which place. Farkas and his team already spoke with pride of their business’s and customers,” Hennick said, $45,000. That’s just how the indus- also had rappers Kendrick Lamar watched their event get cancelled long-standing connection to our “the same names and heritage. I try has changed.” and Lizzo. Cardi B headlined Mon- once, back in April, as Quebec city’s history, while Hennick’s ac- get people coming in, saying, ‘This With such a vast selection, the treal’s Metro Metro festival in 2019, banned all festivals through the countant wife, Iris, worked away ring is a little tight on me, I bought website has become increasing- but has never played Osheaga. This end of August. And that may well in the office upstairs. it at the downtown store.’ ly important — particularly with will be Post Malone’s third time at happen again next year. Even if fes- As the story goes, Richard Hems- “And they have the old bill, with customers spending less time in Osheaga and first time headlining. tivals are allowed to happen, there ley came to Montreal from Liver- my father’s handwriting on it,” the store since the beginning of the Reaction on social media was a are a lot of unknowns. pool, England, in 1867, at the age Jordan added, wearing an original pandemic. mix of jubilation and skepticism. “We’re very conscious that if of 32. Equipped with a Bowie knife Hemsleys watch given to him by a “A lot of the inquiries are coming Many expressed enthusiasm at the people don’t feel safe, they’re not and a revolver, the watchmaker had loyal customer. from locals,” Hennick said. “They chance to see Post Malone, others going to come,” he said. “And if been en route to Chicago, but saw “We have ads upstairs from 1948 know us already. They’re not buy- for Cardi B. But others questioned it’s not safe, we won’t be doing a opportunity in our growing city. from the Gazette and the Montreal ing online, but they’re doing their whether it would be safe to go if it festival. Three years later, with $90 to his Star,” Hennick said. homework and chatting (with us). happens at all. “It sucks. Everyone is in a terri- name, Hemsley opened a tiny jew- When it comes to competition, Once the work is done, they make Reached Monday afternoon, Os- ble situation. But if we wait, then elry shop on Notre-Dame St. (then Hemsleys welcomes it. For de- appointments. heaga director Nick Farkas under- there’s no festival and we have to called St-Joseph). He slept in the cades, the store at University and “That’s the thing with jewelry: stood some people’s apprehension, wait another year. We have to take store on a hammock, and had to Ste-Catherine was on the same you’ve got to try it on.” but was heartened by the generally a chance.” fend off rats, thieves and at least block as another Montreal jewel- And that’s where the Hennicks positive reaction to the announce- [email protected] one flood before taking over anoth- ry institution, Birks. But when it have something in common with ment. Twitter.com/TChaDunlevy er jeweller’s shop, on St-James St. comes to longevity, Hemsleys has Richard Hemsley. (now St-Jacques), in 1889. Birks beat by nine years; the latter “I think (he was known for) his He printed the Hemsley name opened on St. James St. in 1879.