David & Margaret
Five kids. 13 grandchildren. Three (and counting) great-grandchildren. One great-great coffee shop.
This is part of the legacy that David and Margaret have created since they first met as teenagers in Pointe Claire in the 1950’s.
But first, we’ll step back for a moment to the very origin of the story - Margaret’s father, Victor Rose.
Victor Rose
Born in London, England, Victor Rose fought in World War I and thereafter enrolled in a theology program at McGill University in 1922. He took from the war a deep sense that both opposing sides of the conflict were full of men who had good inside them. With this in mind, he wanted to be a part of the growing unification between several of the more common, liberal-minded religious faiths in Canada.
When not studying, he would spend summers on missions, travelling by horse and canoe, often with a diverse mix of Native, religious, and business-minded fellow travelers. Victor would often go to less popular regions of the country and meeting people in mining towns and local saloons.
While we can’t say for sure what his views on coffee were, his interest in social reforms and his side hobby of creating art can be seen and felt today at Victor Rose Espresso Bar. Every fall, it hangs on the walls there and his pieces are auctioned off for charity.
Towards the end of his travels and his studies, Victor Rose and his wife Evelyn settled in Pointe Claire in the late 1930’s and had one daughter named Margaret.
David Taylor and Margaret Rose
As the place where one might expect to meet a minister’s daughter, David met Margaret at a church function at Cedar Park United when they were teenagers. In those days, many churches served as a sports and social hub for local kids.
They would marry and settle in Pointe Claire not long after, and they eventually had a bustling household of five kids. Margaret makes it very clear that it’s important to not just focus on the coffee success of daughter Terry and granddaughter Marie: “We’re extremely proud of all of our kids,” she is quick to point out.
With a welcoming smile and no shortage of topics to chat about even in his mid-80’s, it’s little surprise that David showed an ambition for sales even as a teenager, selling typewriters and insurance before eventually embarking on his own business. (Side note: the older entrepreneurial streak runs in the family it seems – David started his business at age 50, and Terry, along with Marie, launched Victor Rose in her early 50’s as well).
In the relatively nascent field of aviation insurance, along with a business partner, David enjoyed his work and travels so much that he only stopped at age 80. He’s still in contact with a few long-time clients today.
Margaret, meanwhile, had a busy and growing household to take care of. She also worked as a teacher for five years at the local daycare/nursery, Rainbow Corner, a job she loved. Surrounded by kids at home and at work, she developed the patient and warm manner that you feel instantly when meeting her today.
Continuing the Legacy
You can still find them both several times a week at the coffee shop, chatting with friends and neighbors that they’ve met over so many decades as active members of the community. “It’s a real meeting place,” says Margaret, echoing the social nature of her own father as he travelled the country spending time connecting with people 100 years ago.
David was at first highly skeptical of his daughter and granddaughter embarking on a venture to open a coffee shop. “I wouldn’t loan them a dime,” he says. Little did he know what a success it would become, business-wise and community-wise. Fast-forward nine successful years and counting, and “it’s something I apologize for every day!” he laughs.
Coming full circle, the couple even has a granddaughter now working as a barista at the shop. It seems as though David and Margaret’s family has expanded beyond their immediate relatives too. Margaret also loves having the extended Victor Rose coffee family, speaking of the “superb, happy staff” members, and she makes it a point to chat with them every time.
