It’s a brisk, bright autumn morning when Julie-Ann McNeilly comes barrelling down a dirt road, steps out of her van and dives deep into the history of Johnny’s Store.
Built in 1902, the shop is believed to be one of the oldest in Alberta and has long served as a gathering spot in the hamlet of Namao, just north of Edmonton. At one time, it also housed a post office, and McNeilly’s grandmother worked as one of Alberta’s first postmistresses.
Its ownership changed hands a few times, she says. Her family took possession in the 1930s, after her great-uncle became shopkeeper.
“My grandpa bought it in 1949 and his name is John, so it became Johnny’s Store,” she says. “We decided to leave the name, because everyone knows it as Johnny’s Store.”
McNeilly and her brother Brendan have spent hundreds of hours bringing new life to the shop. It’s been …