Elmira jewellery store closing up for good just shy of its 100th anniversary

The owners of nearly century old jewellery store in Elmira say they won’t make it to their 100th anniversary after a costly break over the summer.

Hartman Jewellers was targeted by an early morning break and enter in June.

The husband and wife duo who run the store said they were left with $4,000 in damages and stolen merchandise.

“[The suspect] violently went through it. Took some sterling silver bracelets, a couple of watches. I felt my stomach drop,” co-owner Lisa Mulligan recalls.

Hartman Jewellers in Elmira, Ont. on June 18, 2024. (Stefanie Davis/CTV Kitchener)

The arrests

Waterloo Regional Police arrested two men back in August. The arrests were made two months after police released photos of two suspects they were looking to identity in connection to the theft.

Police said two suspects went to the store near Arthur Street South and Church Street East between 3:30 a.m. and 3:45 a.m. on June 18. They returned around 4 a.m. wearing different clothing.

On Aug. 26, officers arrested a 52-year-old man and a 46-year-old man, both from Waterloo. They were charged with break and enter to commit a theft.

A difficult decision

Although the arrests were made and the display cases were replaced, the owners said the business is closing for good three years before their 100th anniversary.

They said it comes down to safety and peace of mind.

“My grandfather started the business in 1927,” co-owner Stephen Meyer said. “It would have been great [to reach the 100th anniversary], but my wife and I had many conversations about our mental health.”

The break and enter in June was the second time the store was targeted by thieves. There was an armed robbery during store hours back in 2001.

“My husband had a gun to his head,” Mulligan said. “It was not pleasant. We lost $80,000 worth of merchandise.”

“We certainly weren’t in the position where we could quit at that point,” Meye said. “We carried on for another 20 plus years. But now is the time to leave it.”

The store is now hosting a liquidation sale with plans to close by the end of the year.

People living in the area said they are left with more than just jewellery.

“I grew up in town here, so I’ve seen it for a long time,” resident Bruce Reid said. “We did buy my wife’s rings here. I don’t like to see it happening, but I also understand the stress these people are under.”

Meyer and Mulligan own the building and the apartment unit above the store. They are still deciding whether to sell the property and where to move next.