People are coming in streams to the Bluenose collectible shop in the Pointe-Claire Plaza.
Clients of the store and friends of its former owner, Wayne Arnott, are dropping off flowers, pictures and collectible items outside of the store’s entrance as they pay tribute to a collectible legend.
Arnott and his wife Louise Boucher were found dead in their Île-Bizard home Wednesday night.
The couple’s son, Mitchell Arnott, has been charged with two counts of murder.
”Absolutely devastated. Absolutely shocked,” Audrey Mayall, a Bluenose client told Global News via Zoom from her home in Australia.
She says it’s imperative to swing by Arnott’s store when visiting Montreal.
”One of the must-dos on any trip is to go to Bluenose, and pop in and see Wayne,” she said.
Arnott ran the store for decades. The shop owner was willing to buy, sell or trade almost anything that was of value and he had a very loyal following that spanned generations.
”Because of the Beanie Baby craze … I would come in often to purchase them and he would always let me know. I would be passing by the mall and he would be, ‘Hey, I got a good one, come in,’ and I would purchase them through him,” Toni Iermieri, a Bluenose client told Global News.
Sports cards, such as hockey, baseball and basketball, made up a significant part of his business. But coins, stamps and many other items including Pokémon cards were part of his inventory — a rich collection that was paradise for his clients.
Many of them remember Wayne for his larger than life personality, always offering tips, advice and finding the time to chat with his customers.
Matt Brunet dropped off a bouquet of flowers at the entrance to the store.
“The flowers are due to respect, like a way of saying thank-you for the fun times that I’ve had during my childhood,” Brunet said.
Other merchants agree — the man was loved and kept very busy.
“Moving a hundred miles an hour. constantly full of energy,” Peter Grant, owner of Ted’s Hobby Shop, told Global News.
Many people in the community say it will be very hard to fill Arnott’s shoes when Bluenose is scheduled to re-open on Saturday, Oct. 22.
Arnott was 60 years old.