Sylvestor Gayowski has been at the Prince Albert Pharmasave Pharmacy the past 25 years, but has worked in the city over 50 years. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Interesting People

Longtime P.A. pharmacist retires

Jun 30, 2020 | 4:00 PM

After 52 years working in the pharmacy industry, Sylvestor “Syl” Gayowski says he is looking forward to spending more time at the lake.

The 77-year-old’s last day working at Pharmasave Pharmacy was on Tuesday, although he has been at home the past two months as a result of COVID-19.

“It’s the last day but it’s sorta not the last day,” he joked.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Saskatchewan, Gayowski moved back to the community where he grew up and went to school (Riverside and Queen Mary).

Gaywoski’s first job would be at the old Rowe’s drug store in the city’s downtown where he spent two years learning the ropes, before moving on to another bigger pharmacy at Crescent Heights. Eventually the owners, who were looking to retire, approached Gayowski with the idea of buying both the Crescent Heights Pharmacy and La Ronge pharmacy, even loaning him the money. The offer in 1971 was just too good to refuse.

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By 1995, Gayowski made the decision to sell the pharmacies but was contacted soon after by the owner of the location now known as rhe Pharmasave Pharmacy.

“He said geez I’m in a bind my pharmacist just left, can you come and give me a hand. I said yeah I guess so,” Gayowski said.

Gayowski has remained at the same location the past 25 years. Reflecting back on the past 50 years, he said a lot has changed, including the types of drugs being offered, and the integration of computers.

“You know from typing instructions and taping them on a thing to having computer generated labels and being able to get information from computers so quickly,” he said.

Gayowski who wasted no time on Tuesday getting out to the lake, told paNOW he will greatly miss his co-workers and all the friends he met while working behind the counter. He said being a pharmacist was a wonderful job, and gave him an opportunity to do what he liked best, helping people.

“Whether it’s just with advice or whether it’s with their medications, the back of your mind you know you are always helping people,” he said.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell