09/16/2026
It is with mixed emotions that we announce that the end of an era has come. Saunders Mens Wear Ltd has closed permanently. The store has been an institution in Durham since 1928. It started out with Donald Mac Saunders, then Donald Saunders, onto Tom and Nadine Saunders and finally Tom & Mari-Clare Saunders. It has always been a men’s clothing store and sometime around the early 30’s it also took on the Ministry of Transportation with both operating from the store. Hopefully, everyone who came in to do business will have some good and unique memories to share with Tom’s sister, Mary Lou who worked most mornings with MTO. Everyone will remember the antique till that still worked and was original to the beginning of Saunders Mens Wear. We had a lot of people who wanted to buy it, but it was kept for sentimental reasons (and besides as Toms said – it still worked!) If you looked around, you would have seen the McGregor clock (still working), some hat boxes and a couple of signs. Tom kept them purposely for something to remind us of how long the store had been around.
We both want to thank all our friends and customers who faithfully came to us for MTO business or clothes. You are what kept us going. A great thank you to all the trucking businesses who travelled great distances to deal with Tom on a regular basis– you have become family to us and we hope you will continue to stop into RR4 on your way by.
The building has been purchased and we cannot wait to see what Gary & Cathy will do with it.
Thanks again and we wish everyone health & happiness
Tom & Mari-Clare
