Vernon Drive Grocery

Without a doubt the most photographed corner store in Vancouver must be Vernon Drive Grocery in Strathcona. Do a search on Flickr or an image search on Google and you'll find countless photos of the old store. And for good reason as it looks like not much has changed about the place in many decades! If you happen to stop by the store around sunset you could be transported back in time to Fred Herzog's Vancouver when corner stores and their colourful signage where everywhere. The place is pretty old as buildings on the property date from 1901. No doubt back in the day the store did well with Admiral Seymour Elementary School being right across the street. A City Directory search found the store had been home to numerous businesses over the years. In 1915 it was John Craig Confectionary, in 1936 it was BH Corkill Grocer, and in 1952 it was Tom and Gwen Confectionary and Grocer.



The signage on the store is also a great example of one of the last Privilege Signs in Vancouver. (another great example is Benny's Market on Union Street). These signs go way back and were supplied in this case by Coca-Cola with the shop's name flanked by red button Coke signs on the ends. In case you are wondering the Pepsi signs are non original and are hand painted. They are slightly too big scale wise and the one on the right covers up part of the word Grocery.

A closeup shot of some of the old metal letters from the store's rusting privilege sign. This sign type looks to be slightly different that the Coca-Cola Goldline program that was used in the United States. Nothing like seeing the old store in great light. I guess that's why it's a favourite for photographers in Vancouver!

Fast forward a few years since I first posted this back in 2017 and a few things have changed at Vernon Drive Grocery. In the summer of 2019 the old place got a facelift with a fresh coat of paint as the property had been put up for sale. I liked the fading colours and patina of the store's old signs but it was really starting to look a bit run down.

Now in 2020 it seems the store's days are numbered. At least in its current state. There was a piece done by Mike McCardell of CTV News on the Last Word the other night. Here's a link to watch it!

Storefronts on Victoria Drive

When it comes to parts of the city that have been holding out from gentrification Victoria Drive is the final frontier. The stretch of stores and businesses that run from 33rd down to 43rd Avenue is truly a big mix of asian influences. No trendy cafe's or foodie type eateries around here. There is a Starbucks near 41st and a Dairy Queen down at 34th but for the most part Victoria Drive is pretty unique compared to other streets in the city. Although many of the buildings are relatively new and undistinguished there are still a few old ones left that have been around for a very long time. One little strip that caught my eye is on the 5700 block on the East side of Victoria near 42nd Avenue.





























Today this little building is home to three different shops. They are the Flying Dragon Hair Salon, the Kim Phung Restaurant, and the Princess Beauty and Figure Salon. The building itself dates from 1950 although to me it looks much older. A search through the City Directory for 1955 lists the businesses as Howe's Men's Wear at 5762, the Victoria Coffee Bar at 5764, and Rosamund's Florist at 5766. The old sign above Kim Phung's dates from a much earlier time and with its distinctive shape no doubt housed a Coca Cola sign. I'm going to have to get back for a straight on shot of these colourful storefronts. But this part of Victoria Drive is very busy in the late afternoon when the light is nice and there are always cars parked out front. Maybe an early morning run is in order!