A
Man Called “Anne”
Anne De Boer, who had learned
the retail trade from his father during the Second World War, was determined
to forge for himself a business career in Canada after making a trip to
The Canadian International Trade Fair, 1950. Although he didn’t speak English,
he knew that his future plans were in Canada. A man of resolve, born in
Hoogeveen, The Netherlands, Anne immigrated, by boat, to Canada, 1951,
with wife Tine, and five of their six children, settling in Toronto where
business opportunities in postwar Toronto were the greatest. He first ventured
into the whole sale business, but a retailer at heart, Anne changed course,
opening several stores experimenting with retail products, including appliances,
baby carriages, children’s clothing, brooms and brushes, before discovering
furniture was his real niche. Today, De Boer’s furniture stores consist
of a series of six retail stores specializing in upscale home furnishings
catering to people who want to decorate their homes with furnishings reflecting
classical yet upbeat styles. In this view, Chairman of the Board, Anne
De Boer, “advertises” his former homeland and his furniture business in
the Muskoka vacation region of Ontario. [Photo, courtesy John De Boer]
