Wednesday, December 20, 2023, saw the opening of a new hardware store on the Stoney Ground road, as Lake’s Do it Best Hardware began its operations from a new, state-of-the-art facility located next to the former primary store.
The massive building is the largest one in the Lake’s World Inc. and is almost twice the size of the original facility which is adjacent to it.
Mrs. Octavia Lake is the 91-year-old matriarch of Lakes World Inc. Dressed in yellow, she sat among the staff, all of whom were dressed in khaki and yellow uniform as well. The crowd, which comprised of customers, company workers and invited guests, erupted in spontaneous applause as Mrs. Lake took her seat and uttered her usual jovial humor.
The opening ceremony began with a prayer offered by Canon Reid Simon. He requested God to especially bless the opening and the operations of the new outlet.
In her brief welcome remarks, Lake’s Do it Best’s Assistant Manager, Ms. Carol Hodge, said: “Today I welcome one and all to the opening of our new Lake’s Do it Best facility. I cordially greet our customers, our staff, as well as all those viewing online. The construction of this building has taken us on a long journey ever since Hurricane Irma in 2017.”
“Work on the facility is still in progress,” she said. “Our setup is not complete as yet; it is not perfect, and so we request our customers to be patient with us. But, due to circumstances, it was necessary that we open our new doors at this time.”
Carol, who has been virtually adopted as a sibling by the Lakes family, attested to the fact that she has been committed to Lake’s World for almost all of her life, having begun employment with the business some 44 years ago as a 14-year-old young lady. She testified that she holds the establishment dear to her heart. As such, she assured the patrons that Lake’s Do it Best is here to serve them as best that they can and will even endeavour to improve on their usual efficient service in the new and improved facility.
After welcoming the gathering, the oldest son of the Lake’s family, Mr. Remington Lake, gave a brief history of the business started by his father.
“In 1946, my late dad [Albert Lake], then a young man, came to Anguilla from St. Martin, where he had worked on the estates milking cows and selling the milk for a living.
“He built a little corner store next to where the SOL gas station currently stands now. When his business outgrew that small building, he built the structure that now houses the DHL agency, and he operated a variety store from there.
“Then, having outgrown that shop on the corner, in 1966 he bought the building that now houses Lake’s Haberdashery. In that building he expanded his business as a general store, selling a wide range of merchandise, ranging from food, clothing, household items, hardware supplies and consumer commodities.
“Later, in 1971, he built the former hardware building next door, which later became “Lake’s Do it Best”. In the course of time that building was seriously damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017, and so as a consequence we were made to ‘bite the bullet’, and we began construction on a new facility which is being opened before us here today.”
“It has been a great sacrifice for us to build this structure,” he remarked, “and as Carol said, the journey was long. Indeed, it has been a lot of hard work to get this building ready for opening today, but gratefully we have made it. I would like to thank all who have played a part, and I welcome you all to the opening once again.”
Canon Reid then sprinkled the entrance with ‘holy water’ and prayed for the protection of the structure and its contents from the effects of disasters, both natural and man-made. The ribbon was then cut by Mrs. Lake, and the new store was officially opened.
Lake’s World Inc. comprises Lake’s Do it Best, Lake’s Home Decor, Lake’s Service Station, Albert’s Wholesale & Marketplace, Lake’s Haberdashery and Lake’s Quarry.
