After almost 50 years of doing business in Williams Lake, the owner of Lake City Glass has sold the shop to Glacier Glass Ltd.
Chester Mortensen said he’s wanted to sell the business since his wife Sheila passed away earlier this year from breast cancer.
“It’s the way it has to be,” he said of how he feels about selling the business. “I’ve enjoyed working here all these years and had a lot of fun. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Praising the many customers they have worked with over the years in and around the region, Mortensen said he wanted to say a ‘great big thank you.’
“Raising a family was fun here and I have no real plans to go anywhere else to live.”
His sons Clayton and Byron will be welcome to continue working at the shop, he added.
Allan Fox of Glacier Glass said the company had been looking for an opportunity to expand the business since its newest store opened in Prince George in 2017 and then heard that Lake City Glass was for sale.
“We talked about the history this company has in Williams Lake, the reputation Chester and Sheila have in the community and what we could do to build the company even better than what it is now,” Fox said. “It didn’t take long to decide it was a great opportunity and we are very excited to be adding Lake City Glass to the Glacier Glass family.”
Glacier Glass was founded by Dwaine Dilworth in 2011 with the first store opening in Dawson Creek, followed by opening his Grand Prairie store in 2016.
Fox became part of the company in 2017 when he was introduced to Dilworth and they immediately opened the Prince George store.
“We are not going to do anything different than we’ve done in our other locations which is, work hard to be the “best piece of glass in town” by offering outstanding customer service and quality installations,” Fox said, noting there are no immediate plans to make changes to the business in Williams Lake, although customers and surrounding businesses will notice some visual improvements.”
As for the mural on the outside of the building that depicts the Mortensens, the plan is to keep it there.
Read more: Lake City Glass owner honours late wife in mural addition
“Our conversation without hesitation was 100 per cent to keep the mural of Chester and Sheila on the building, as long as we own the building the mural will be permanent for all to enjoy,” Fox said. “We realize how important the murals around town are to the people that live in Williams Lake and we want those memories of Chester and Sheila to live on.”
Fox said the coffee will always be on and encouraged the public to stop by and met the previous and new crew.
The new ownership goes into effect Monday, Dec. 2.
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