Pharmacy celebrates 50 years in Streetsville

Berge Shalvardjian remembers when he used to type prescription labels on a manual typewriter.
The pharmacy trade has come a long way since then, moving forward with technology like everything else. Today, a prescription bottle contains so much computer information, there's hardly any white space left on the label.
Today, Shalvardjian and his team at Robinson's IDA Pharmacy on Queen St. in Streetsville celebrated 50 years in business.
Nearly 100 people turned out - some of them customers for the past 50 years - to offer their congratulations and reminisce with the pharmacist, who has been the owner for 28 years.
Shalvardjian also unveiled a plaque on a bench at the front of the store in memory of Andrew Brennan, a pharmacist at Robinson's from 1957 to 1993. His family, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, were on hand. His wife, Betty, was touched by the tribute.
"I thought it was wonderful," she said. "I just wish Andy could have been here to help Berge celebrate the 50th. He loved Berge and he loved the drug store."
It seems many people love the pharmacy; Shalvardjian says they keep coming back because of the friendly, personalized service.
Mayor Hazel McCallion, who lives in the Streetsville area, gets her prescriptions filled there.
Shalvardjian also reminisced about how farmers used to come in to get drugs when their livestock were sick, long before massive development hit the area. For many years, the independent drug store was the only pharmacy for miles around.
During the 1980s, many Toronto Maple Leafs dropped by to get prescriptions filled. The team dentist was located across the street.
"My staff would watch the game and come in the next day, knowing who to expect," Shalvardjian said. "The players would be standing there waiting on prescriptions for painkillers, with blood dripping out of their mouth and the staff would be asking for an autograph."
Oksana Szymanska, who has worked at the pharmacy for seven years, said Shalvardjian has been a role model for her. He inspired her so much that she's heading to University of Waterloo in January to study pharmacy management.
"He really inspired me to go into pharmacy," she said. "He is a great teacher and he's always giving me tips and teaching me about the different drugs. Without him, I wouldn't even know what I wanted to do in the future."
As for Shalvardjian, he plans to keep running the IDA. He says the pharmaceutical business is a rewarding, exciting profession for which he has always had a passion.
jslack@mississauga.net