Posted on
April 11, 2023
by
Judi McQueen
L.J. Baron Realty is an all Canadian, Independent and Family owned, Second Generation business since 1953. We have a well deserved reputation of getting results for people who want to sell!
Claudette Griffin has been an Award Winning REALTOR® for 35+ consecutive years, and was the FIRST Interlake Realtor to be awarded the Silver Medallion!
Please enjoy this intimate Family History on Leo and Liliane Baron, taken from the Teulon & District History Book, published in 1983!
Leo Baron was born March 4, 1915 in Mariopolis, Manitoba. Son of Hector and Adela Baron. His father was a farmer, and mother a housewife. Leo had four brothers and four sisters. Leo attended school in Mariopolis and at the age of 14 went out to work. Liliane was born in Notre Dame de Lourdes, Manitoba. She was the daughter of Wenceslas and Marie Lemieux. She attended school in Somerset until the age of 16. Lil had two sisters and two brothers.
In 1946 Leo & Lil moved to Teulon, from Winnipeg, where Leo had been self-employed and a salesman for the W.T. Rawleigh Co. He was the Rawleigh dealer for Teulon and district until 1951. They chose Teulon as it seemed like a nice, friendly place to settle in; also it was becoming a growing town and it was near enough to Winnipeg for Leo to pick up supplies for his business.
Leo remembers Teulon as boasting a frame Cecil Hotel, Parent's Grocery & Hardware, Cronmiller's Garage, Charlie Woo's Chinese Restuarant, and Doern's Bakery, just to name a few places of business. There was no bank in Teulon at that time.
In 1951 Leo started selling insurance as a sideline, which in a few months, became a full time operation. He rented an office on the corner of 1st Street and Railway Ave., and operated as L.J. Baron - General Insurance. Lil had taken a course as a hiar dresser at Marvel School of Hair Dressing. In 1951 she opened a Salon in her home, located where the Big Way store is now. In winter she had to melt snow on the stove to have water to wash her customers' hair, as well were not too plentiful in Teulon at that time. It was in 1953 that Leo officially started selling Real Estate. In 1957 they purchased the Albert and Bertha Ellison home on Beach Rd West and Lil operated her Salon until Septemer 1974, in her home. In 1960 there beame a demain for modern office space in Teulon. Leo got estimates for 960 sf of office space, so he borrowed 95% of the cost and built the office which became known as the Agricultural Building on Main Street. In 1962, over a cup of coffee with Olivier Muloin, a Teulon High School teacher, Leo discussed the feasibility of starting a Credit Union in Teulon. As a result of that conversation a meeting was called and the Credit Union was started in Teulon and Leo appointed as Secretary/Manager of the newly formed Credit Union. It was operated from Leo's office until it required a full time manager. It is now Access Credit Union.
In 1968 their daugher, Claudette married Roger G. Griffin, son of George & Rhoda Griffin of Teulon. Roger and Claudette have two daughters, Angele and Cherise. It was also in 1968 that Roger joined Leo as assistant and bought into the business, thereafter the name of the agency became Baron & Griffin Agency, with Roger being the owner/operator. In the 1970s Roger took a real estate course and became affiliated with Leo, as did Claudette in 1981. Leo devoted most of his time selling real estate and was still active in 1983.
Leo was also a member of the Teulon Chamber of Commerce and was secretary for five years. He had a big roll in the development of the town and was instrumental in bringing the Hosiery Mil and Promo Wear Ltd. to Teulon. Leo was also a member of the Teuon Golf & Country Club since it started, in 1974. Lil too was an active member of the Ladies Curling Club for 25 years and a member of the Teulon Golf & Country Club.
