This small corner store is such a great example of the old school of the neighbourhood grocery in Vancouver. It’s served many generations of neighbours as well children attending Admiral Seymour Elementary School across the street. The Pepsi signs are quite unique too I think, a change from the usual Coke version.
The high price of Vancouver real estate has been in the news a great deal lately and part of that story is the fact that the housing prices are driving families out of the city core. One of the side effects of that migration is the closing of schools. What happens to neighbourhoods and local stores when families leave and schools close.
Gary Mason in the Globe and Mail had a nice piece on the issue here .
In 1911 my husband’s grandparents, Andrew [Andreas Johan Bendiksen Eithun] and Bolette [Mortensen]Bendickson, lived at 700 Vernon Drive, which is to the left of the store with only the porch showing. Andrew was a carpenter and the family ran a grocery store which we believe to be this very one. The family lived with their two sons, Holger age 13, and Adolf age 11; as well as 3 lodgers. Andrew and Bolette immigrated from Norway and met and married in Vancouver. My husband’s father, Holger, once told of finding a huge black spider in the bananas. He also told the story of watching one man being chased by another past the store and hearing the sound of a gun. We do not know how long the family ran the store.
Thanks for the picture,
Margaret Bendickson