Over a decade ago, Al Bjornaa was wondering what to do with a 10-foot refrigerated meat trailer that an uncle left at his property in Batchawana Bay, Ont., a 45-minute drive north of Sault Ste. Marie along Hwy. 17. “He thought we could use it to haul fish,” says Al, who’s part of a multi-generational commercial fishing operation on Lake Superior. “But it didn’t work out.”
As a music lover and a record collector, Al saw another use for the trailer. “I thought it would be perfect for a record store because it’s got thick, insulated walls, to protect the vinyl from extreme temperatures,” he says.
So begins the story of the World’s Smallest Record Shop, a 70-sq.-ft., metal-clad cube parked on cinder blocks alongside the Trans-Canada Highway. “I’ve always liked roadside attractions,” says Al. “It’s always ‘The World’s Biggest.’ But the world’s biggest is expensive. The world’s smallest, that’s right at my price point.”
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Al’s store is open from Victoria Day to Labour Day, operating on the honour system when he’s away. “If I’m around, I’ll hang out and chat music,” he says. “But if I’m not here, the door’s always unlocked. You leave money in a bowl or send me an e-Transfer.” Only one album has been stolen in the dozen years Al’s been in business. The records, which he acquires from estate sales, friends, or online, are typically priced from $5 to $500. He sells “everything from the most common vinyl you see at every yard sale to some of the rarest records on the market,” he says. The shop embodies a lifelong obsession for Al. His personal library once approached nearly 40,000 records—a collection that began when his father gave him The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour and Let It Be albums on his fourth birthday. As Al grew up, he enthusiastically accepted thousands of albums from family and friends. The wooden racks in his shop, meanwhile, overflow with around 1,500 albums during peak season. Upwards of 100 motorists may visit on a busy day, generating about $2,000 in sales—“a good day for any record store,” he says. Last year, he welcomed visitors from 26 countries.
“Everyone assumes my stock is just going to be a bunch of Anne Murray. But I prefer to stock obscure records. When I actually get a collector in the store, that’s my favourite thing. Some people make a point of visiting every year,” he says. “I’m shocked that I’ve kept it going for 12 years,” he continues, “but it’s easy when it’s just an old refrigerated trailer parked on your lawn. Why would I stop? It makes people happy.”
This article was originally published in the Summer 2026 issue of Cottage Life.
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