The Old Country Shop

Helga Schuliakewich describes how famous retailer Sam the Record Man helped her, a young German immigrant, in the 1950s.

Written by Ellen Moorhouse

The Old Country Shop at 355 Roncesvalles sells many German products, just as it did when it opened in the early 1960’s.

Working in a Record Store: 714 College St.

In 1955, Helga Schuliakewich got a job selling records at Sniderman Radio Sales and Service at 714 College St., where Sam Sniderman (a.k.a. Sam the Record Man) ran the store’s record department, Sniderman’s Music Hall. Helga still talks of “Sammy” with great affection and gratitude for his generosity toward her and her sister, Karin, new immigrants from Germany.

I was the first one to come to Canada in our family. I was the runaway! After the war there were so many problems in Germany. I was 18 and wanted something different, so I came here in 1953. I only had 40 German marks ($9.37 Cdn). It was very hard at the beginning. Two people helped me a lot. The first was Dr. Morris Zeidman, who founded the Scott Mission at 502 Spadina Ave. The other was Sam Sniderman – Sam the Record Man. When I first came, there was a job open at the Scott Mission. I ended up working in Dr. Zeidman’s home for two years. I was like a daughter. He protected me. They were the nicest family. He also helped me get a job in 1955 at Sniderman’s Music Hall, which was at 714 College St. It was run by Sam Sniderman. His older brother Sid was the first to sell car radios at the College St. store. Sam later opened his famous store Sam the Record Man on Yonge St.

Musical imports

Sam, I called him Sammy, we got along so well. I had never had a record in my hand before, but he trusted me. I had the whole department upstairs on the second floor. I had Russian, Ukrainian, Macedonian, German, Polish, everybody, 32 languages. We had a lot of booths that you put your head in there and they played the record. We wore circle skirts with musical notes on them. I started importing records from Polydor and Deutsche Grammophon. Sammy never had that before. We printed our own little catalogue on our printing machine and sent it out to Alberta and other places. In 1955, my sister Karin came over. Sammy’s wife picked her up at Union Station, and Karin started helping at the store. She became an assistant manager on Yonge St. and met her husband Leonard at Sammy’s. He worked there, too. Sammy was so kind to us. He was like a father.

Later, my sister Karin and I ran the Old Country Shop at 355 Roncesvalles Ave. My parents opened it in the early 1960s when they came from Germany. Karin passed away in 2019. Now my niece Sabine manages the store.

Watch videos:

The Sisters and Sam

Old Country Shop (made in 2015 by students at Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic High School.)

Sources: Various interviews with Karin Smith, Helga Schuliakewich and Sabine Smith.

For more Information:

Sam Sniderman

Sam the Record Man

Doug Taylor remembered the store at 714 College St.

Morris Zeidman and The Scott Mission

Helga Schuliakewich came to Canada with this suitcase and 40 German marks ($9.37 CDN) in her pocket.

Helga, far right, worked for Sam Sniderman on the second floor of the family’s College St. store, Sniderman’s Music Hall.

Helga began ordering records from Europe and created a mail-order catalogue.

Sniderman’s store at 714 College St.

Ad for car radios at the 714 College St. store.

The iconic Yonge St. Store, Sam the Record Man.

Helga being interviewed for a video about her life story.