Michael Kluckner’s latest BC bestseller Here & Gone: Artwork of Vancouver & Beyond is gorgeous. One half is filled with his paintings of disappearing Vancouver (Here) and the other of his travels in countries such as Australia, Cuba, Mexico and Japan (Gone).
Missing Heritage:
In the introduction to Here, he writes: “I see myself as a witness, certainly not an activist anymore or a serious historian.” I served on the board of the Vancouver Historical Society with Michael for several years and I see him as all these things. I asked him to explain.
“I didn’t have any sense or feeling that I could save anything by doing any of the paintings and I thought I’m just going to pick up these weird little buildings that will tell the story for me in one way or another,” he says. “This is not a city where influential people care.”
Death of the corner store:
Michael’s Vancouver includes buried houses, legacy buildings, laneway houses and corner stores.
“People have memories of going to the corner store and a lot of them in Vancouver were right next door to schools,” he says.
In the 1970s and ‘80s corporate-owned chains like 7-Eleven and Macs popped up and killed off many of the corner stores right around the time when we needed them the most. Because as well as giving immigrants from China, Japan, Italy and elsewhere a foothold in the city, they were somewhere you could walk to, meet your neighhours and support local amid the growth of impersonal big box stores selling “Made in China” goods.
making a come back?
“There was a move by city planners to get rid of the corner stores—not get rid of them altogether—but to get them out of the neighbourhoods and onto main streets. Now when we find one in the neighbourhood we just go ‘wow is that ever fabulous’,” he says. “The remaining ones are practically on life support, but there is finally a move in the city to give them a little support.”
And it does seem that the corner store is making a comeback (I can think of four in North Vancouver), just not necessarily back to their grocery roots. Some have been repurposed into cafés, an antique store, a B&B, and some sell jewelry and art.
The buildings that house these stores aren’t fancy, but many are over 100 years old, and are part of the disappearing fabric of Vancouver. In other words, the corner stores tell the story of displacement, immigration, how the city grew up around the streetcar lines and community.
Here is a list of places where you can buy Here & Gone
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23 comments on “Here & Gone: Vancouver’s Corner Stores”
Cardero Grocery, was almost a department store. They sold clothing food you name it and yes they were directly across from Lord Roberts elementary. I just googled it and it closed in 2017 after 75 years.
McGill Grocery is still open. They had childhood treats for sale that I guarantee youll not find anywhere. Hot cinnamon toothpicks. The Mah family has run this store for a very long time. Lots of truck parking on McGill to run in for a coffee and a donut.
In the 60s my friend and I would buy a 50 cent bus pass on a Sunday and ride transit all over the city. We often rode to North Van to buy hockey cards at corner stores.
Talk about simpler times
The days of corner stores, reminds me of growing up in NV. They were everywhere, and I loved them. Most are gone now, times have changed considerably and for the most part, I would like to think we live in a more civilized society. Then, as kids we used words that are unthinkable and very derogatory today, we didnt know any better.
I have been photographing corner stores in Vancouver since the 80’s, my favorites were the ones that had the same sans serif font with the name, e.g. “Crown Grocery” bookended by a large Coca Cola button sign on either side.
Decades ago I started to notice the Coca Cola buttons were disappearing. I heard a VPD officer, who was a collector of Coca Cola memorabilia, speaking on CBC Radio 1 about this very thing, that these signs were secured by two bolts, so not difficult for thieves on ladders to remove under cover of darkness. He said they sold for up to a grand.
I recall there was one such grocery at the corner of 49th and Maple, across the street from Magee Secondary. I think it may have been in the early 90’s that I notice that both Coca Cola buttons disappeared, then a month or so later the place burned to the ground. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not…
The Alberta Grocery Store in Calgary has 7 Coke Buttons on their building. They are welded on to the metal back sign.
922-19th Avenue SE Calgary.
When I drove the 3 – MAIN Brill trolleybus in the early 1970s, I noticed that corner stores were located on Main Street every few blocks all the way from Broadway to Marine Drive. I would stop at corner stores all over the city for a snack while at work. The Quebec grocery at Broadway and Spruce was steps from the apartment building I once lived in. There was a corner store at the southwest corner of Broadway and Hemlock, and it was known for staying open until 4:00 am. It had a chilled water Coca Cola chest with a towel to dry off the bottle. More than a few had toddlers romping around at odd hours, and the aroma of a variety of Chinese meals being prepared in the rear accommodation. My favourites were the ones where a bell attached to the door tingled your arrival. My Dunbar neighbourhood had a number of corner stores when I moved here in 1977, and one survives on West 16th Avenue across from Lord Byng High School. Proximity to a school was a bonus for a corner store.
well his comment This is not a town ( he uses city) where influential people care says it all does it not. the comment brings the question why? .
And what kind of town planners are we hiring? the wrong ones obviously. Planning? has there ever been one? one that reflects Vancouver? not real estate. Why rid corner stores? what possible justification could they have. I am disgusted with ” the city” not council but the unionized no one to answer to. Why do we have this? Until this is changed we are at the mercy of fools
I painted the watercolour of the Vernon Drive Grocery in 2005 for ‘Vancouver Remembered,’ then moved to Australia the following year. When we returned in 2010, we were looking for a place to live and saw that it and the blue house to the left of it (all on one lot) were for sale for about $650K. The grocery was operated by an almost unilingual Chinese woman who lived in the back; also in that building was a separate suite occupied by a young woman with a bike. The blue house, which actually encroached onto the lot to the east, had a hoarder in the upstairs suite (floor to ceiling newspapers packed along the hallway, for example), a couch-surfing group on the main floor, and hoarded building materials occupying almost every square inch in the basement. It needed work, and had the additional problem of being a non-conforming use in an industrial zone – if anything had happened to it, we wouldn’t have been able to rebuild, and all the maintenance and upgrade work would have had to be done without permits.
We low-balled an offer of about $600 K and were outbid by someone who then couldn’t get financing because of the non-conforming zoning. The agent came back to us asking us to reinstate our bid, but by that time we’d bought in Grandview. So, a path not taken. The store and house property are for sale now (2021) for more than $2 million.
I remember a corner store at Blenheim& Broadway. ( A Japanese family lived
in the back). Good for penny candy & packages of firecrackers for 5 cents each! .
Yes! I so remember the little corner stores. I actually was recently trying to find a pic of the corner store right across the street from Edith Cavell Elementary. Spent a lot of time standing in front of the penny candy bins trying to decide. Most often it came down to how can I get the most candy with my change. Thinking of it just now,I could suddenly feel a mojo in my mouth being chewed and the sweet mintiness of it. I had a purple Mustang bike with sparkly purple banana seat that took me everywhere! It was my freedom.bi liked to mix things up.bid have some change in my hand and is think,where should I go to today. I lived on 18th and Ash,but I was very willing to cross over to other neighbourhoods,for a change of scenery,and I did. I would go quite far just for the adventure!
The other thing that really brings me to another magic place back then was the allies in-between the streets. They were the flip side to the home life. It was a whole other world. I remember the morning glory that grew on the broken, slivery,fence,the white flowers,and as my mom showed me,how to breath them in and they stick to your face. This house was a hippy house,with many living there, and super cool people,who I have great memories of,like Tim,who looked like tiny Tim, long dark hair,barefeet,guitar slung on over his arm and so gentle and kind. Nancy and jerry,the motorbike leathered hippies and their dogs,Oscar and Hamish,Lorraine and Nathan, Claudia and Jane from England whom my mom and her became friends for life!
The garaged,the treasures stashed alongside amongst the grass that grew up and around the treasures. Riding your bike full speed with a tinge of what unknown could suddenly present itself,a car suddenly pulling out, a person popping out perhaps perfect for your imagination to turn very quickly into a monster in the small scale. A whole nother side of what was represented on the front side of the houses. The truth,so it seemed!
What great memories, thanks for stopping by Barbara!
Aw, no one, it seems to me, cares about the olden days. Now that I’m 60 I feel ancient comparing my past life here to now. I enjoy all your posts so much, Eve. It has prompted me to do a bit of writing for articles called Collingwood Corner for my local newspaper, the Renfrew Collingwood Community newspaper. My parents and I have lived nearly our whole lives in Collingwood area, so we have many memories. I remember KK Korner grocery at Wellington and Rupert. I think it was built in 1911 and it’s still there, but it hasn’t been a grocery store for quite a few years. It was for sale recently over $1 million but I don’t think it sold. We have only our memories to hold onto. I think I’ll have to buy Michael’s latest book.
Thanks so much for your kind words Loretta. Was it really called the KK Korner store – Yikes! Glad you’re doing some writing on Collingwood. And do buy Michael’s book, you’ll love it.
Yes, that was truly its name. We thought nothing of it at the time. My Mom would hasten up our back lane with us in tow, a few times per year, to get something she needed. We were allowed to choose a snack while there; I usually got that pink bubble gum as it came with a small comic. My other treat I loved was the powdered sugar in the paper straw. It was always cool inside the store in the middle of summer.
I remember ‘ our ‘ Chinese grocery on Keith Rd & Moody . We could knock on the back door after hours to buy an emergency quart of milk . Good neighbours .
When I was growing up in Kits there was a store on 4th and Blenheim that was very popular with all the local kids. Lots of candy to choose from as well as all the staples, a great standby for last minute necessities. We called it ‘Louie’s’ [not sure if it was the owner’s first or last name but we called him ‘Louie’ as well.] I think his wife worked with him also.
Fishing at the beach was popular with many kids and I remember a store on the south side of 4th between Dunbar and Alma that would trade fish for candy.
Jimmy’s Market, at Alamein and McDonald was the grocery store in the neighborhood where I grew up. Jimmy and his wife (unfortunately I don’t remember her name)owned the store and a lot of times the sound of Jimmy’s wife’s favourite music and the smell of Asian cooking greeted you, when you walked in the door. Jimmy always had a smile on his face and no matter how long it had been, after I had grown up and moved away, he always remembered me. His store greeted you with tubs of flowers outside. Inside, the Coca Cola chilled water chest filled with different types of pop and the most amazing assortment of penny and nickel candy to choose from. Lots of wonderful memories.
I love this article. I just wanted to give a shout-out to the next generation of corner stores popping up, like Windermere Market in Hastings Sunrise. Really community attuned little stores that are helping us limp through this pandemic with minimal exposure in big box stores.
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West Vancouver got short-changed by an old decision not to allow corner stores to operate in residential areas. Even high on the hill where it would make sense to have a corner store, nope. Yet another example how West Van has gone its own way.
Vernon Drive Grocery is actually looking very spiffy these days. It was repainted last year (or maybe the year before) as part of the effort to sell it. It’s certainly bright with its fresh coat of paint but some of the dilapidated charm is gone.
Good to hear. Thanks for the update James
Bit late to read this one – I will always remember visiting my Aunt Lynda’s in North Van and I knew that we were close as soon as I saw the “Harold Grocery” corner store – I think it was near Keith Rd but cant recall, it was the early 80’s.
It seems we lost the Corner Store on 7th & Prince Edward St across from Mount Pleasant Elementary Park Field. It was right on the corner; I believe the family who owned it may have been Korean. They had the most beautiful garden in the back that was shared with me right at the end. That whole block of was demolished I believe in 1977.- 1978. Apartments were built. I was young so I do not remember the name of the store. I have yet to ever find a photo of it. So sad. how so many never knew about the secret garden.