Fargo General Store

Sep 22, 2021

The Fargo family is celebrating 50 years as the owners of Fargo’s in Marysville.

Steve Fargo was 7 years old when his family purchased the General Store in 1971, and he worked in store as a kid. In 1988, he bought Fargo’s from his parents, and has been running it ever since.

When the construction of the wind turbines took place on the island about 14 years ago, demand from construction crews led the store to begin selling sandwiches and baked goods, and they haven't stopped. A few years ago, the opportunity to add an LCBO outlet presented itself, which required a renovation.

The CFDC stepped forward to help with financing at the time.

“They were a great help,” said Steve. “They were very easy to deal with and understanding, which helped us do what we needed to do to make it happen.”

The LCBO outlet has not resulted in major profits from liquor sales but it has resulted in more traffic in the store, creating profit from increased sales of other products.

Fargo’s has been a lifeline for Wolfe Islanders in hard times, from the ice storm in 1998 to the COVID pandemic in 2020-21, and islanders have responded by supporting the store through thick and thin as well.

The future for Fargo’s is very bright with the Wolfe Islander III steaming its way across the Atlantic, and prospects for year-round ferry service to downtown Marysville, and Fargo’s, not too far off on the horizon.

But that is for the future. As Fargo's hits 50, it continues to serve the changing needs of the Marysville and Wolfe Island community, poised for the next phase.