100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #11

. The Pool Parlour On Tuesday 29th May 1923, G.J. Westwood received a building permit for a $3,000 one-storey building at 1816-1818 Commercial Drive. He hired William Francis Jones to design it, and R.E. James to build it, and by the following spring, Grandview Recreations was open for business at 1816 under the management of … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #11

100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #3

. Swap Columns The Vancouver dailies included scores of pages of ads. Many of them were corporate material just trying to sell you stuff; but a significant number were "swap" ads, where individuals offered up something in exchange for something else. For example, on Saturday 3rd February 1923, someone offered a short silk plush coat … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #3

Bringing Self-Service To Vancouver & The Drive, 1918-1926

. The Great War of 1914-1918 brought with it many changes to Canadian society. This brief essay looks at one such change; the move from full service grocers to the concept of self-service. During the war, and for some time thereafter, most retail businesses on the Drive were still stores rather than shops, with apron-clad … Continue reading Bringing Self-Service To Vancouver & The Drive, 1918-1926

Scott’s and other grocery stores

As reported in the previous post, Scott's Grocery is having a close-out sale; Steve and Esther, who have run it for more than 20 years, are retiring to Burnaby, the building has been sold, and the new owner reportedly wants to build "apartments" on the RM4-zoned site. Here's Scott's in Google Street View: ... and … Continue reading Scott’s and other grocery stores

Historic Victoria Drive Building Unveils 1920s Ad Mural and New Tenant

On Friday evening, March 23, 2012, Dominic and Giorgio Morra's Via Tevere PIzzeria Napoletana opened for business, clearly a unique local business and a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. It actually gives the neighbourhood a whole new feel after the  vacant, run down storefront that was there for about a decade. And thanks again to … Continue reading Historic Victoria Drive Building Unveils 1920s Ad Mural and New Tenant