By Ewa Jarmicka
They may be quite visually impaired, but the Del Grande brothers have a clear vision of where they want to be: On your feet-with the best fitting shoes you've ever worn. Siblings' co-operation receives less attention than sibling rivalry does, but it definitely benefits the siblings a lot more. Lawrence and Joseph Del Grande have always lived in Scarborough , but with many connections downtown. Both were born in St. Michael's Hospital, Lawrence attended St. Michael Choir School for four years, Joseph's first job was at Thrifty's in the Eaton Centre when it opened in 1975. And both worked for a few retailers downtown, "learning what not to do," Joseph laughs, because all their employers are no longer in business.

Now the brothers own and operate Del Grande Footwear in what most people still call The Arcade, between Yonge and Victoria Streets south of Richmond . The Del Grandes offer quality, value and service along with the latest styles in women's and men's shoes. They are passionate about quality and downright obsessed with fit. They don't travel the world to buy their stock, simply ride the TTC to a couple of annual trade shows and pin down the best deals they find in footwear and accessories from all over the world. On a high shelf are a few panda and polar bear backpacks for children, bought on a whim.

When asked if they argue about aspects of the business, Joseph admits, "Sure, but we never hold a grudge. That would be dumb." Aside from a good working relationship sharing special family occasions, they aren't closely involved in each other's lives. Joseph talks easily and cheerfully while the older Lawrence is reserved, speaks rather shyly, and online response to direct questions. Born seven years apart in the 1950's, both with macular degeneration, they were never at the same school together and dropped out as soon as they could. There were no special classes for visually impaired children in the 1960's. The brothers shrug it off. They've spend about half a century the same way as the rest of us, working and living one day at a time.

Lawrence wanted very much to succeed in rock music after high school. For a decade he traveled full-time across Canada with bands such as Wireless and Brutus. He was keyboard session man on the first LP album of Triumph. Then he played guitar in a short-lived trio with Joseph on drums and a bass player. When Lawrence realized that he wasn't going to make it in the rock scene, he began pre-recording back ground music for retailers but that project ended when a law on royalties was passed. Music remains his only hobby. He likes all kinds buy plays only rock and rhythm and blues, "sometimes a bit of jazz," he adds. He began his retail career selling shoes at Agnew Surpass, moved on to Florsheim Shoes, then Calderone.

Joseph sold clothing at first, and then also moved to footwear at Agnew-Surpass, then Ruby's and some others. "One of our grandfather was a shoemaker", he reports, "but it's just a coincidence that we're doing this. We got jobs in the business, learned a lot, and decided to run a store of our own". In 1997 they opened for business in 3,000 square feet at 117 Yong Street where the Axmith family had sold shoes for 35 years. That turned out to be too much space for the Del Grandes, so two years later they moved into 1,100 sq. ft. in The Arcade. They took computer training at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and now read the screens of palmtops and a PC terminal. Joseph says, "We get really close, of course, and every once in a while a customer asks why we don't get glasses, so we explain that macular degeneration can't be corrected". They take turns opening the store at 8 a.m. on weekdays, with alternate Saturdays off, but both are there from 11 to 6 Monday to Friday. Their only employees are a retired man who has been handling out flyers on Yonge for four years, and a smartly dressed young woman who does the same on Saturdays. She refers to them as "my owners."

The brothers have large dark brown eyes and almost black hair. Amusingly, Lawrence the rock musician has his cut conservatively, with gentle waves framing his face, while Joseph the family man not only has his pulled back tightly in a ponytail which hangs to his shoulder blades but sports a finely trimmed pepper-and-salt Van Dyke moustache and beard. He says his wife Gail tells people she married him because she always gets the car and he can't see what she looks like in the morning. He talks proudly about his eldest daughter Megan's work in fine and graphic arts, how Joel-Anthony plays for two baseball teams and intends to earn a sports scholarship in the States that Wade plays hockey very well, and that the youngest, Mia dances both jazz and "acro." "That's gymnastics set to music," he explains.

Working together successfully, the Del Grande brothers are an example of the countless unique aspects of Toronto 's oldest neighbourhood.

	Copyright 2003 Community Bulletin Newspaper Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.