The A & A team: Aline and Achille Kingsbury, of the 45-year old King Garage, in L’Orignal. 

Between the two access streets to L’Orignal lies a popular and long-standing institution. King Garage has been serving motorists and trucks drivers at 935, County Road 17 at this precise location since 1972, but it had started years earlier within the village. In fact, Achille Kingsbury and his family have been operating since 1965!

The year is 1949. Young Achille has just started working on vehicles after completing a certificate in Toronto. Through the years, he accumulated some experience in various locations. The year of Canada’s centennial, he decided to open his own automobile repair shop. It was a small operation next door to his home on Longueuil street in L’Orignal. The year 1972 proved to be a breakthrough: Mr. Kingsbury purchased a one-acre by one-acre lot at his present business address. In that first year, a 50-foot by 50-foot building was built on-site, recalls his daughter, Sylvie. In 1973, the Kingsbury business expanded yet more by purchasing a similar neighboring lot. Today, King Garage facilities are 160 feet long by 100 in the back and some 50 feet wide in façade, this area motorists see from the highway.

Achille and Aline Kingsbury and their employees cater to automobiles and regular vehicles. But the Kingsbury specialty has become the maintenance of big rigs. King Garage is well equipped to handle the heavy haulers and to run emissions tests and perform annual safety checks on them. Whoever has walked in has certainly noticed an impressive tire display. In everyday operations, the Kingsbury couple is flanked by two of the children. “The oldest, Sylvie, takes care of the accounting, reception duties and the software programs,” explains Aline. “Jean is the key man to inform people as to the right choice of tires and wheels that they need for the cars or trucks.”

Why has King Garage been able to operate for almost a half-century despite an ever-increasing competitive market? Perhaps the answer lies in the personal relationships the Kingburys have developed with customers. “It must be because of our friendly service. Nobody is a number here,” explains Aline Kingsbury, wife of Achille. “Through the years, we’ve had people drive all the way from Ottawa to come here for their oil change because we’re the only ones to touch their vehicle.” With a smile, she summarizes dealing with Montréal-area truckers: “Some of our customers belong to the Sikh community. They like us so much they drive in and they request seeing papa and maman… My daughter once remarked ‘I never knew I had so many brothers!’… We even have had a family man who came in the other day with his six-month old son and he said that in due time, the young one would also have his oil changes and maintenance performed here!”

Kingsbury Garage’s 45^th anniversary was celebrated by a few key people and organizations: suppliers Michelin of North America (Canada) and Toyo sent a certificate. Glengarry-Prescott-Russell Member of Parliament Pierre Lemieux also acknowledged this milestone.

To contact King Garage, phone (613) 675-4834. On to the next 45 years!

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Contact: jacques.desbecquets@champlain.ca

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