A Calgary western wear shop older than Alberta has closed after 115 years and the slow economy may be to blame.
Riley & McCormick opened in 1901 -- four years before Alberta joined confederation -- and went on to dress real cowboys and their urban admirers for about 115 years.
Calgarians have been posing for photos beside its hand-carved wooden horse 鈥楻iley鈥� since at least the 1920s.
Owner Brian Guichon鈥檚 grandfather was one of the original partners in the shop. He鈥檚 planning to continue with wholesale now that he鈥檚 made the difficult decision to close.
鈥淥ne has to make decisions based on what's happening here and now,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ales are going down and costs are going up.鈥�
Alberta鈥檚 economy is shrinking, due mainly to the low price of oil. hit 8.6 per cent in July -- the highest in 22 years.
The financial squeeze combined with bad weather led to just over one million visitors to the 鈥� about 80,000 lower than 2015 and the lowest level since 1994.
New figures out Thursday showed the have fallen 7.1 per cent year over year, while detached houses are down 3.3 per cent.
It鈥檚 all been too much for Riley & McCormick, according to Guichon.
Rancher Joseph Madaro, 80, who has worked in the shop through economic booms and busts, said he鈥檚 鈥渟ad to see it go.鈥�
With a report from CTV National News Alberta Bureau Chief Janet Dirks
