As of February 5, Megan and Dan Hamilton became the new owners of Hazlewood Drugs, purchasing the business from Brent and Jill Hazlewood. Megan, who has been one of the staff of pharmacists at the drug store since July 2014, although she had worked in the summer prior, said this was more or less part of the plan from the beginning.
“I remember even way back in my first year at work, we briefly introduced the subject,” Megan explained. “‘Would we be interested in pursuing it going forward’ and we all agreed it would be something we would be interested in talking about. In April 2017, we actually started talking about it.”
Although many young people leave small communities and never do return, the Hamilton’s said coming home was always part of Megan’s hopes. As Dan said, when she was in pharmacy and he was still around, she always wanted to come back. She confirmed that.
“Our families are both here, we love it here, lots of our friends are still around. I felt very lucky when I graduated, I had a full time job in my hometown where I wanted to be and now I have the opportunity to buy the store. I’m really, really fortunate.”
Jill Hazlewood said having the couple from town was really helpful in their decision to sell.
“Very much so,” Jill said. “We did not want to sell to someone in Winnipeg who may come out for a couple of years, then another pharmacist comes out and no one really knows them. Everyone knows Megan; she was born and raised here. Everyone knows Dan; he was born and raised here. They know the families. It is much better.”
Although not originally from the Boissevain area, Brent and Jill Hazlewood have been a major part of the community since June 1978. After completing school, they decided they did not want to practice in Winnipeg and went looking for rural opportunities. There was an ad for a pharmacist at Houston’s Drug Store in Boissevain. Brent applied and got it, while Jill took a couple of part time pharmacist jobs in the immediate area.
“We had been to Boissevain for Turtle Derby,” Jill explained, “and I thought it was a wonderful town.”
Once owner Jack Houston knew his kids would not be going into pharmacy, he was willing to sell the business to the Hazlewoods’, which he did in 1992. A couple of years later, Jill moved over to work alongside Brent in the business. In 1996, they moved over to their current location.
“I thought owning a drug store would be perfect and so did Brent and we got it. Now it’s our turn to move the business to someone new.”
Although they will have a little more time, with Brent saying they might “chase the grandchildren around”, the public will still see the couple working behind the medicine counter at the pharmacy a fair bit for at least a couple of years. Megan said she is very happy to have them around, both for their professional abilities and their business experience.
“That is the overwhelming part,” Megan said. “Brent has really been helping me get my feet wet. In pharmacy, we had one management course and it wasn’t so thorough. I have a lot to learn and Brent and Jill have been teaching me that.”
Marlee Stewart joined as a part-time pharmacist at the beginning of the year, but apart from that, staff will be staying the same. Overall, nothing new is planned for now.
“Honestly to people coming in the store it will probably look very much the same. It will just take a while to get our feet wet, so we have no changes planned.”
They are intending to keep the Hazlewood name for the time being. Dan said he is not sure exactly how involved he will be, saying they will see how that works as they go forward.
Boissevain should enjoy its traditional stability in pharmacy ownership for a good while yet.
“This is a very long term plan for us,” Megan stated.
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff