The Corner Store Project
The Hidden Lives Behind Coquitlam’s Corner Stores
About
Corner stores are part of a thriving community. Unlike bigger chain stores, each corner store has its unique history and individual blend products they sell. It is important to collect their stories, as they provide us with a picture of our community; and give us a historical record. The corner store is often ignored or taken for granted till they disappear or change. As part of our project, we interviewed several corner store owners throughout the city. We also hired Jonathan Desmond, a local photographer, to take pictures of the stores and their owners to be featured at Place des Arts on March 31, 2023.
Essential to this project are Karter Masuhara, Daphne Cui, Sophia Kishi, Tasia Valencia, Naomi Fong, Ciara Javier, Emily Zhang, and Markus Fahrner.
Johnathan Desmond
Photo taken by Kirk Mastin.
Jonathan Desmond is a Vancouver-based photographer specializing in weddings, portraiture, and street photography. As a photographer, Jonathan takes a traditional, organic approach to this work – he enjoys capturing scenes organically with minimal posing or direction, and prefers working with film cameras and creating prints. The physicality of his approach informed the creation of a book documenting a year in Vancouver’s Chinatown, titled I Was Lured Into a Tea Shop, as well as his “in the moment” capturing of Coquitlam’s corner stores, documenting his encounters as a patron might. In his own words, he wants people to “remember the moment and not remember that they were photographed”.
Corner Stores Through the Years
Pett’s Meat Market
Photograph courtesy of City of Coquitlam Archives – CA CCOQ C6-S01-C6.37
Pett’s Meat Market, later general store, was one of the first stores in Maillardville located on the corner of Laval Square.
Founded in 1919 by Henry James Pett, Pett Meat Market was notorious for always being the first to get new technology in Maillardville. For instance, the Pett family were the first to have a neon sign in their storefront. At the time, Maillwardville residents had never seen a neon sign and initially thought the store was on fire. The Pett family were also the first to own a radio.
The site of Pett’s Meat Market is now residential property.
Photograph courtesy of City of Coquitlam Archives – CA CCOQ C6-S01-C6.20
Trev’s Confectionary
Photograph courtesy of City of Coquitlam Archives – CA CCOQ C6-S01-C6.966
Trev’s Confectionary was located on Brunette Avenue and was one of the oldest stores in Coquitlam.
It started as Filiatrault’s barber shop and hairdressing salon in the early 1930s, where Anne Bohonos Protheroe was hired as a hairdresser. After Mr Filiatrault left the business, Anne bought the store and turned it into Anne’s Beauty Shoppe. In 1939, she married Trevor James Protheroe, who worked as a fireman on a freighter and spent a lot of time in the Far East. After being injured during a typhoon, Trevor was not well enough to work, so Anne expanded the business into a store and a place to eat.
Although permanently closed, as of 2022, Trev’s Confectionary is considered a heritage building and is owned by the City of Coquitlam.
Proulx General Store
Photograph courtesy of City of Coquitlam Archives – CA CCOQ F20-S02-F20.38
Proulx General Store was one of the first general stores in Maillardville, situated in the corner of Laval Square which was once a business hub for the community.
The store was run by Georges Hector Proulx, who arrived in Coquitlam in 1910 with his family and bought the store shortly after. At 8PM on August 1920, Proulx witnessed an attempted robbery at his store. The would-be thief had ordered a taxi from Vancouver to Maillardville and held the store clerk at knifepoint, and demanded the customers hand over their money and valuables. Unbeknownst to the robber, Proulx had been in the store and called Emery Paré and Antonio Lanoue, both of whom served as some of Maillardville’s first local police, and they managed to surprise and overpower the thief.
The site of Proulx General Store is now residential property.
Rosemarie’s Treasures
Rosemarie’s Treasures was an assortment goods store located on Ridgeway Avenue.
Founded by Rosemarie Bella, Rosemarie’s Treasures was initially a secondhand clothing store before transitioning to sell locally-crafted artisanal items and ethically-traded goods. It was bought by Debbi Rasmussen in 2014, after Rosemarie’s retirement.
Rosemarie’s Treasures closed permanently in 2021 and its premises have since been used to expand Blue Mountain Produce.
Shiraz Farm Market
“We try to be friendly to all customers. And we usually know our customers, even their family, even how many people are living in their home and what’s their problem now. Why are they happy right now. And we know most of our customers even by their first name. And we usually talk to them and try to be happy when they come here. And we try to talk to them and make them happy. If they are not happy, we try to make them happy.”
Shiraz Farm Market is a grocery store in Clarke Road, Coquitlam that began operations in 2017. Owned by Masoud Zand Mehraban, a former interior designer from Iran, the store prides itself in carrying the first fruits of each season and good quality halal meat, the popularity of which is a testament to Mehraban’s dedication to importing from the best. Their halal meat is sourced from Alberta, which according to Mehraban is the closest in taste to Persian lamb. In addition, they also source fruits from all over the region and even the United States to ensure they can offer the first of each season. Located in Burquitlam Plaza, Shiraz Farm Market is a vital component in the revitalisation of the plaza which is now a growing Persian community.
https://shirazfarm.ca/
552 Clarke Rd #405,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 3X5
Euro Food
“Sometimes I wonder whether we need so many choices to provide to customers. But when I’m looking toward [what] our competitors have […], we have to… We’re trying to get as much as possible. And hopefully this brings more people. We’re not complaining that we’re not selling our stuff. Quite opposite.”
Euro Food Tri-City is a grocery store, deli, and catering company located on the Coquitlam side of North Road. The business started in 2010 as a retirement project for Grigori Khaskin, a former chemist at the Academy of Science in Ukraine and retired professor at Simon Fraser University, who owns and runs the shop with his wife, Svetlana. As its name suggests, Euro Food Tri-City specializes in carrying European grocery goods, such as candies, cakes, meats, and cheeses, as well as locally-made delicacies derived from traditional European recipes. Euro Food Tri-City prides itself in providing delicious, niche European products that are rarely found in Canada and items that aren’t simply a repeat of those in big chain stores.
https://eurofood.ca/
555 North Rd #1,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 1X2
Shana’s Flowers
“My dad had a business. I used to go to help my dad. I like that environment, the interaction with people. I like the small business. I don’t know, I think the interaction with people, it became a part of my life.”
Shana’s Flowers is a flower shop and bodega on Gatensbury, Coquitlam that started its operations in 2013. The store sprung from the idea of an Italian restaurant, which had been the initial plan for owner Rojwol Shrestha, whose background is in hospitality and information technology. Due to regulations, however, he changed his mind and instead opened Shana’s Marketplace, a corner store which sold lottery tickets, snacks, and candies. In 2018, as a means to stay competitive, the store transitioned into a flower shop, after Shrestha’s wife Hashna, a former fashion designer in Nepal with a passion for art, said she wanted to focus on flowers. Although different from his academic background, Shrestha enjoys the freedom of a small business and the environment that comes with interacting with people.
https://shanasflowers.ca/shop/
587 Gatensbury St,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 5G4
Tri City Snacks
“When I was a kid, I always wanted to go to the snack store at lunchtime, or before school, or after. We just figured it’s going to do better in this area.”
Tri City Snacks N More is a convenience store along Schoolhouse Street in Coquitlam which opened on February 2022, replacing School House Market & Florist. Specialising in rare snacks and flavours from all over the world, the store began as a side project for owner Deepak Jhand, who also runs a vape shop in Surrey. For Jhand, Tri City Snacks is a way to explore business outside the vape industry, and a way to contribute to the local community, the area of which is surrounded by schools, daycares, residential buildings, and a library. Meanwhile the hired managers of the store, a mother and daughter duo who are local to the area, see the store as a way of keeping alive the spirit of the old corner store that was part of their childhoods.
https://tricitysnacks.ca/
642 Schoolhouse St,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 5P9
Ridgemont Foods
“You really need to understand the customers’ needs. Business will grow when the customers are satisfied with what we provide.”
Ridgemont Foods is a grocery store located along Ridgeway Avenue in Coquitlam that opened over 40 years ago. Its current owner, Angela Chang bought the store in 2019 and has since been selling grocery goods, lottery tickets, cigarettes, flowers, and other dollar store items. For Chang, understanding her customers is key to providing what they need. Her initial struggle with the cultural differences between Canada and South Korea taught her that her needs from a corner store differ from that of her customers, so she made sure to ask her customers what they want so that her store would better reflect the wants and needs of the community it serves.
(604) 936-3337
1067 Ridgeway Ave,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 1S
Blue Mountain Produce
“We pride ourselves in our customer service, getting to know our customers, what their needs are, meeting their needs, and to meet the price range as much as we can.”
Blue Mountain Produce is a grocery store on Ridgeway Avenue, Coquitlam which began its operations as a produce market before expanding into a grocery store. Its owner Janet Tan, a social worker born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, emphasises the importance of community in their business philosophy. To Janet, running a corner store goes beyond selling goods to customers, it is forging relationships with people to better meet the needs of the community. This philosophy has allowed the store to expand its catalogue, which now includes dry goods, frozen meat, and dim sum, as well as support other businesses by carrying locally made and produced goods, such as bakery items.
https://bluemountainproduce.com/
1041 Ridgeway Ave Unit B & C,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 1S6
Jeepney Mart
“Mostly I have 80% Filipinos [customers]. It’s all walks of life and all ages. It can be so young and really old. It’s like a home to them. They enjoy coming. Besides, I am the only Filipino store in this area, so it’s a meeting place for everybody.”
Located in Austin Heights, Jeepney Mart is a convenience store that specialises in imported grocery goods from the Philippines. The store opened in 2009, after owner Laramie Tan-Amit was laid off from her accounting job and decided to try her hand at retail business, something she grew up doing in the Philippines. As the only Filipino store in the area, Jeepney Mart prides itself in providing a sense of home for its largely Filipino clientele. For Tan-Amit, Jeepney Mart is not just a place for people to buy things, it’s a place where people can feel comfortable, exchange stories, and learn from one another. Tan-Amit has also incorporated her work as an accountant into Jeepney Mart and currently offers accounting and income tax services in store.
https://www.facebook.com/jeepneymart/
1071 Austin Ave,
Coquitlam, BC V3K 3P2
Marmont Market
316 Marmont St,
Coquitlam, BC V3K 4R1
Door Treats
“Seeing as things have been sped up with COVID coming into play, the digitisation sped up a lot. So now we wanted to make more consumer goods available in an e-commerce platform.”
Door Treats is a virtual convenience store that delivers snacks throughout the Lower Mainland from its base of operations in Ketch Court, Coquitlam. Launched in 2022, Door Treats takes its cues from e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and Amazon to bring a new twist to the classic corner store model. Owner Saabir Daya, a digital marketer by profession, notes that the digitisation of consumer goods has only sped up with the pandemic and wanted a way to make quality snacks and goodies readily available in a same day delivery platform. However due to the virtual nature of the store, Daya admits that they lack the interactive element inherent in physical shops, and have taken to sponsoring events and maximising their digital media to connect with consumers.
https://doortreats.ca/
1312 Ketch Ct Unit #101,
Coquitlam, BC V3K 6W1
