Chase’s Color Centre Friendly and knowledgeable colour experts to help with your next painting project.

897 Prince Street Truro, Nova Scotia (902) 895-4678 Greg and Heather Chase have an extraordinary ability to make you feel like an old friend from the moment you cross the threshold of their store. Whether you’ve been a loyal customer for over a decade or you’ve just walked in for the very first time, they greet you with a smile and treat you like you belong. “I’m here for the people,” says Greg as we sit across from each other on a sunny morning in the paint store. “Our biggest priority is to make sure the customer is happy with what they get, and to make sure we point them in the right direction with the projects they’re working on.” Heather nods behind her husband and adds, “there’s nothing more important than customer service.” The sentiment rings true throughout the conversation. Several times while we’re chatting, the door behind me opens and Greg and Heather jump up right away to greet the incoming customers. They know each of them on a first-name basis and spend a few friendly moments asking about their families and their latest projects while they mix their paint. Greg and Heather have owned Chase’s Color Centre at 897 Prince Street for the past 16 years. Greg worked in the retail space for 22 years prior to purchasing the business, including MacIntosh Menswear, which used to be across the street from the paint store. “I knew this store, and the previous owner, and I knew he was looking to sell,” Greg explains. “So my wife and I talked and we said, ‘well, let’s give this a go’.” “We built our own house and I always did little chores and handyman stuff,” says Greg, “so I figured, I can learn to mix paint and the basics of paint. The rest is history,” he says as Heather smiles behind him.

Greg and Heather Chase, owners of Chase’s Color Centre in Truro, Nova Scotia.

The store has carried Benjamin Moore® paints and stains for the past 14 years. “Switching to Benjamin Moore® was the best move we ever made,” says Greg. “It is just such a supreme product. From the most basic product to their high-end Aura line, it’s really just phenomenal paint.” One of Greg’s favourite products is the Benjamin Moore® classic oil deck stain. “It sinks into the wood better and it just lasts so long,” he explains. Chase’s Color Centre also carries a basic selection of wallpaper in the store, but they have books customers can order from if they’re looking for something different. “These days wallpaper isn’t as popular as it used to be,” Greg says. “There are people who like to use it for an accent wall, or in some of the older-style Victorian homes, and we can certainly order that in.” Including Greg and Heather, the store currently has 4 employees; Janice has developed expert-level skills working in the store for 14 years, and on Saturdays Nancy, an interior designer from Carrigan Interior Concepts, is available in the store to help customers looking for her perspective on colour choices. “What I like about working here is that when somebody comes through the doors, they always have a project in mind,” says Greg. “If you’re walking into a paint store, you’ve got a plan to paint something.” Greg loves helping bring those project ideas to life. He tells me he asks customers a lot of questions when they first walk into the store to make sure they’re purchasing the right products for the job they want to do. “Sometimes they look at me like, ‘you’re sure asking a lot of questions,’ but in the end, I just want to make sure they have what they need to get the job done,” he says. Greg loves having his business in downtown Truro because of the familiarity and the community. He recommends that entrepreneurs interested in starting a business in the downtown core find their niche. “Do your homework,” Greg says, “figure out what you can provide that people need, and go from there.”

History of 897 Prince Street

with files from the Colchester Historeum

The building that houses Chase’s Color Centre at 897 Prince Street in Truro was built in 1872 after the Wesleyan Methodist Church was moved from the site in 1871 to a new location on Pleasant Street. The church was moved by Mr. J. W. Johnson, who operated a store in the building that carried “a good stock of dry goods, groceries, etc.” In the May 12, 1875 edition of the Colchester Sun, a tailor by the name of Miss Sutherland ran an advertisement stating that she had moved her business to the corner of Prince Street and Waddell Street above the store of J. W. Johnson. In 1892, J. W. Johnson sold the building to Stephen M. Bentley, who ran a crockery and tea business from the location until 1906. Mr. Bentley died on October 31, 1909 from the accidental discharge of a gun. Hollis Ryan purchased the building from Mr. Bentley in 1906 and turned it into a grocery store called Ryan’s Groceteria. A 1911 Plan of Truro from C.F. McAlpine of Halifax states that the store sold “family groceries, provisions, boots, shoes and rubbers, ham, bacon, lard, bologna, and sausage”. After Mr. Ryan’s death on July 17, 1917, his estate maintained control of the property until 1918 when it was sold to Herbert Johnson. Herbert A. Johnson was a widely-known resident of 9 Church Street, who had been both a plumber and a sheet metal worker. He operated the Truro Foundry on Cummane Street for a number of years until 1939. After his retirement from the foundry business, Mr. Johnson was engaged in the real estate business for a number of years. He was born in Truro and lived in town for his entire life; he served on both the Town Council and the Truro Electric Commission and passed away on September 4, 1958. Mr. Johnson owned the building at 897 Prince Street from 1918 to 1922. In 1922, brothers Walter and David Crocker purchased the building and opened Crocker Brothers Hardware. Walter H. Crocker was a prominent resident of Truro and was active in the business community for many years. He was once the president of the Truro Rotary Club, and had once served as secretary of the local Board of Trade. In 1940, Walter Crocker sold his portion of the business to his brother David and opened a new, similar hardware store at 24 Inglis Place. David Crocker continued operating the hardware store at 897 Prince Street until 1955. In 1955, the building was sold to Gerald T. Quigley who continued operating it as a hardware store until 1963 when it was sold to E.W. Pauley Ltd. In 1973, Tibbets Paints Ltd. purchased the building, and it’s been operating as a paint store ever since. It changed hands in 1989 when Jim MacKinnon took over to run MacKinnon’s Color Centre, and again when Greg and Heather Chase purchased the building and business 16 years ago. Since the hardware stores that operated in the building also sold paint, Greg estimates that residents of Truro and the surrounding area have been purchasing paint from 897 Prince Street for at least 75 years. Most recently, Greg and Heather made substantial improvements to the facade of the building, including brand new windows. “The Downtown Truro Partnership was a huge help when we did all the renovations to the front of the store,” says Greg. “We made the building a little more modern and gave it a little more character.”

Then and Now

The image on the left was originally published by The Chronicle Herald in 1962 and shows the BH Paints and Quigley’s Hardware store at 897 Prince Street. The image on the right was taken on March 9, 2021. Use the slider the view the differences between the 2 images.

Historical Uses of the Building

Benjamin Moore® Paints & Stains

Chase’s Color Centre offers a complete line of Benjamin Moore® products. Whether you’re staining a deck, reimagining an interior space, or painting the whole exterior, they have a paint or stain that fits your project. From surface preparation products to a wide array of coatings in sheens and formulas for every requirement. Whatever the job demands, they have what you need. Benjamin Moore® offers an unparalleled retail experience whether you need interior or exterior, premium or commercial-grade paint or stain. Knowledge is mixed into every can of Benjamin Moore® paint. Colour consultants and paint experts help you combine the right colour with the right paint for the right results. And unlike big box stores, you’ll always find personalized, unrushed service.