SUBMITTED
Lynn Laming-Kerr, long-time owner of Kitley Grocery & Service Centre in Toledo, will be receiving the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s annual International Women’s Day celebration on Thursday, March 6 at the Brockville Memorial Centre.
For over 36 years, Laming-Kerr’s service centre has been a staple in Elizabethtown-Kitley. Known as a welcoming hub in the village, Lynn and her husband, Peter, continue to provide essentials such as fuel, propane, frozen foods, hand-made breakfasts, lunches, and snacks to go, beverages, lottery tickets, and more. The store became an LCBO Liquor Convenience Outlet Operator years before the recent expansion of retail liquor sales.
“I was 19 when I started with the store. I came to help provide for my family, but then it changed as the community became my family,” she said.
Laming-Kerr has been a member of the Royal Canadian Legion for 25 years. “We are a very close community; we support schools and churches, and the community supports our business. We stay connected by being there and staying present for our customers,” she says.
Laming-Kerr leads a team of employees that have consistently served with a commitment to customer engagement and breaking down barriers. “Everyone is welcome here,” she says. Her efforts have created meaningful connections and fostered economic opportunities in the region. In 2021, the store was the top entry in the “Grow Your Business, Love Your Lifestyle” video promotion.
“Lynn’s success and dedication is to be commended as she has demonstrated the importance of female leadership in small business while balancing the needs of her family and supporting her community,” says Corinna Smith Gatcke, warden of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and mayor of the Township of Leeds and Thousand Islands. “Lynn’s commitment and longevity has attributed to her accomplishments and gained her the admiration and respect from many in the region.”
“I am absolutely thrilled for Lynn. I can’t think of a more deserving recipient for an award such as this one. Kitley Grocery & Service Centre has become a well-known and long-standing fixture in the township thanks to her tenacity and leadership, along with her unrelenting dedication to customer service and a friendly atmosphere. In a time when so many village stores have become relics of the past, Lynn’s establishment not only lives on, it thrives!” said Elizabethtown-Kitley Township Mayor Brant Burrow. “She genuinely loves her community, and the community loves her.”
Laming-Kerr is the 12th business leader selected for this coveted award, that recognizes women who have been in business for over 20 years and has demonstrated hard work, community contribution and resilience.
Submitted by the Leeds-Grenville Economic Development office.
