The property was initially acquired by John Graydon in 1885 from John Barnhart. John Graydon, the noted builder, constructed the building in 1887 for Howard W. Eaton for a Confectionary.

Eaton sold the building later that same year to David Whaley. In 1892 the property passed to John Miller, a retired auctioneer from Brampton.

In 1904 his executrix, Jessie Miller, sold the property to Frederick Ward. Less than a year later, Ward granted the property to David Evans, who was listed as a merchant and may have operated an upholstery business here until 1922.

From 1924 until 1941 the property was owned by John Hector Jakeman, a baker. In 1945 the building was acquired by Gladys Stuart, who rented the building to Bert Root for his Root Hardware store. Gladys Stuart sold the property to Elmer Bentley, Root’s son-in-law, in 1949. In December 16, 1951 fire gutted the building, and sadly claimed the lives of Wilfred and Rita Amos. The fire also resulted in the loss of the original third storey of the building.

In 1954 the property was transferred to Elmer Bentley’s widow, Violet, and her two sons, Gordon and Lorne Bentley. The Bentley brothers operated Bentley Hardware Limited here until 1973, when the building was leased to Paul Schultz who operated the Streetsville Pro-Hardware Centre.

Elmer Bentley, and his sons Gordon and Lorne, served with the Streetsville fire brigade. Gordon became the Mississauga Fire Chief in 1979, retiring from that post in 1991. Chief Bentley was at the helm of the Mississauga Fire Department during the Mississauga Train Derailment in 1979.

In 1989 the Bentley brothers sold the building to Ladner Enterprises Limited. In 1990 the front façade and third storey was rebuilt by the Ladner family, based in part on surviving historic photographs of the original façade.

The building became home to The Shop for All Reasons in the 1990s, which has been operated by long-time Streetsville residents Loretta and John Viola for the past 18 years. Unfortunately the business will cease at the end of 2020.

The building is Designated under the terms of the Ontario Heritage Act, and while we will certainly miss The Shop for All Reasons, which for the last 18 years under the Violas has become a landmark in downtown Streetsville, we also look forward to the next chapter in the life of this historic building.