At the general store

For the adult reading along

A little more to discover

In the nineteenth century, general stores offered varied goods: food, clothing and hardware. Customers could buy, barter or use credit. These stores were also meeting places. Mail-order catalogues and improvements in transport and communication changed their role. In Maskinongé, the Magasin général Le Brun brings together three buildings from different periods, preserving the memory of this trade. It also housed a post office.

The word “general” invites a hunt for the variety of things gathered here. With your child, sort what is eaten from what serves the house, and ask how the storekeeper knows what the bag weighs. This is an imaginary store, not an inventory valid for every village. On the balance, the bag rests in one pan and known weights in the other. When the two sides balance, the bag’s mass can be compared with the weights.