McConnells honoured for service to Vilna Community

Megan Suitor

Diane and Ellis McConnell were the guests of honour for Vilna’s monthly community supper on February 12. The couple recently retired from owning the D&E Family Grocery in Vilna after 39 years of service.

The couple, who were surrounded by the family that they had raised in Vilna, were surprised as speaker after speaker stood to commemorate the huge role the McConnells have played in the community, and to thank them.

The evening was emceed by Vilna Ag Society Vice President Bernie Buyar, who opened the evening by thanking all in attendance for coming to recognize and celebrate Diane and Ellis for over 39 years of service.

“They committed to our community, but they also provided a lot of employment, and the community is grateful for that because you provided employment for a lot of people,” Buyar said.

As members from the community continued to speak about the McConnells, it became apparent that the couple’s service to the community went much further than owning the local grocery store.

In his speech, Smoky Lake County Deputy Reeve Dan Gawalko summed up the community impact of the McConnells by saying, “I would like to thank you for being part of Vilna, the county, the firefighters and all of the clubs.”

Ed English, representing the fire department, shared that “one of the first things Ellis did when they bought the store was to join the fire department. They even had a fire phone in the store and spent countless hours helping.”

Speakers were quick to share stories that showed that it was not just the grocery service that the McConnells provided to the community, their connection went much deeper and reached all facets of Vilna. The Vilna Ag Society shared how not only did the couple donate to the fair every year, but they also provided help in many other ways. The fire department shared how Diane always made sure to have candy ordered for the fire department for Halloween and parades. Buyar talked about how Ellis joined the Old Timers hockey team, and “all of a sudden we started to win the odd game. He ended up being the scoring leader, and he also had the most penalty minutes for our team.”

Carmen Bergeron spoke of the shock she experienced when first shopping at the store and finding out so many people were allowed to carry a tab, and the trust that the McConnells had in the community members.

Aspen View Public Schools Board Trustee Donna Cherniwchan shared memories of going to D&E Family Grocery.

“They knew everyone by name and greeted them when they entered the store. A trip to Diane’s meant an ice cream cone, candy and Diane’s smile. They are a couple that provided an amazing service, and also committed wholeheartedly to our community,” shared Cherniwchan.

After so many heartfelt speeches of gratitude, it was time for Diane and Ellis to take the podium.

Ellis shared how their journey as grocery store owners began back in August 1983, when he noticed a for sale sign in the store window while stopping on a trip from Edmonton to Ashmont.

“On October 1, 1983, the store was ours and we started the process of learning to be shopkeepers”

The couple began their journey in Vilna living in the residence at the back of the store, where they were often greeted by residents who realized their grocery needs only after the store had closed. This is where the new owner of the store, Sandeep Kommina is currently living as he learns to run a store just as Ellis and Diane did 39 years ago.

“I’ve been looking for a store for many years,” shared Kommina. “I came to Alberta six months ago, and this store had a good projection for the future, and was the best one for me.”

The store was listed for sale on October 13, 2022, and sold only three weeks later. The takeover date for Kommina was January 31, 2023, and Ellis spoke of the mixed emotions felt by Diane and himself.

“We were handing over the place where we had worked and lived for so many years.”

Diane closed their speech with a note of gratitude to everyone in the community.

“We would like to thank all of our customers for all of the support all of these years, and we would like to welcome the new owner and wish him all the best.”

Everyone in attendance rose in a standing ovation, thanking the McConnells for all of their support over the past 39 years.