Heading down to the Piggly Wiggly for a quart of milk is something you would hear in Memphis, Tennessee where the revolutionary grocery store chain was founded in 1916. However, you could also go to the Piggly Wiggly over on Granville Street in Vancouver about 80 years ago.
The Vancouver Sun, March 27, 1931
In 1925, Piggly Wiggly (BC) Limited opened its first store in Vancouver. By 1929, there were 28 Piggly Wiggly locations in Vancouver, Victoria, and New Westminster and Piggly Wiggly (BC) Limited merged with Piggly Wiggly (Canada) Limited. On March 27, 1931 the Vancouver Sun had a full page ad for Piggly Wiggly, celebrating six years in Vancouver:
The Vancouver Sun, March 27, 1931
The Piggly Wiggly Corporation, established by Clarence Saunders, offered the first self-service grocery shopping experience in America, the first checkout stands, price marks on store items, refrigerated cases, employee uniforms and many more of the standards used in the grocery store industry today.
1928: Piggly Wiggly on Denman at Nelson in the West End. Archives Item# Str N267.2.
(Left) 1930: Piggly Wiggly in the Walden Building on Main. VPL# 4764. Photographer: Leonard Frank.
(Right) 1939: Piggly Wiggly on West 41st. VPL# 25055. Photographer: Dominion Photo Co.
In 1929, Safeway came to Canada just three years after it was founded in Maryland. Eventually Safeway would take over the Piggly Wiggly chain in Vancouver. Stores like Piggly Wiggly No. 4 in Kerrisdale remained until at least the end of the 1930s.
Vancouver Craft Beer Week (“VCBW”) kicks off this Friday and many events have already been sold out for weeks. Through partnerships and collaborations with venues, pubs, and breweries there is a wide variety ways to get involved. The #YVRBeerTweetup group has partnered with The Portside Pub (7 Alexander St) in Gastown to host The Riverboat Showdown on Thursday, June 6th starting at 7:00pm.
In keeping with this year’s VCBW theme, The Portside Pub will be decked out like a riverboat casino and attendees will be able to take part in 5 casino games with professional dealers, served by ladies and gentlemen in true ‘saloon style’ costume.
Attendees will vote for their favourite brews on-site (each brewery bringing a special cask just for this event) and the #YVRBeerTweetup hosts will be posting updates and results from the awards portion out to Twitter.
Participating breweries for The Riverboat Showdown include: Deep Cove Craft Brewery and Distillery, Lighthouse Brewing, Vancouver Island Brewery, Parallel 49 Brewing, Central City Brewing, R&B brewing, Red Truck Brewing, Russell Brewing, Howe Sound Brewing, and Tofino Brewing.
Tickets are available online for $25 and admission includes “casino” playing tokens, a VCBW tasting glass, a ticket for one 4oz. cask taster, and live music from The Sweetpea Swing Band. Additional cask tickets are only $1 each. There will be prizes and other fun surprises throughout the night. Attending in costume is highly recommended!
If you would like to attend this event, I have a pair of tickets to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment here naming a participating brewery at this event (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 5:00pm on Sunday, June 2, 2013. Must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly and plan a safe trip home.
Update The winner is Rosemary!
For the fourth year in a row, as the Social Media Sponsor, I am live blogging the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards. As honoured nominees and guests arrive for a reception and dinner at the Westin Bayshore in downtown Vancouver, I will be setting up my laptop at the side of the room to provide live commentary, quotes, and of course results of this 30th annual awards evening.
Live Blog
Update Live blog to begin around 7:30pm. Please check back at that time. Follow the tag #VANWOD2013 on Twitter for live updates from attendees as well. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
The BC Hospitality Foundation is hosting their annual Dish n’ Dazzle fundraising event on Thursday at the Pan Pacific, presenting an evening of spectacular food, cocktails, and the Wines of Chile.
Where: Pan Pacific Hotel (999 Canada Place, Vancouver)
When: Thursday, May 30, 2013 from 6:30pm to 9:30pm
Tickets: Available online for $75 (plus taxes/fees).
19 wineries from across Chile’s diverse wine regions will pair up with food from 12 of Vancouver’s best restaurants. The evening will also have live music, a silent, auction, and a raffle along with a cocktail competition with Ryan McDonald, UVA; Alfred Siu, The Distillery Bar; Tia Stonier, The Mix by Rics (Whistler); Josh Boudreau, Veneto Lounge (Victoria); Lauren Mote, Kale & Nori and Bittered Sling; Julia Diakow, Killjoy Barbers; Robyn Gray, PiDGiN.
The BC Hospitality Foundation is the industry’s charity of choice, providing financial support for individuals within the hospitality community who are coping with a financial crisis arising from a health or medical condition.
The foundation’s mission is to offer financial assistance, beyond traditional medical benefits and insurances, to individuals within the hospitality community in their times financial need. As well, it is committed to supporting the industry’s next generation by providing scholarships to selected students enrolled in hospitality, culinary and wine programmes in BC.
Learn more about Dish n’ Dazzle by following the BC Hospitality Foundation on Twitter and Facebook.
Hitting the Trans Canada Highway and heading east from Vancouver you used to pass a sign at Hope that said “Gateway to Holidayland” however for me, Holidayland starts 20 minutes sooner with the turnoff to Highway 9. The Agassiz-Rosedale Highway (Highway 9) bends across the Fraser River and eventually turns into Hot Springs Road, leading you to Sasquatch country and home of the legendary Harrison Hot Springs Resort.
In just under two hours you can watch skyscrapers and strip malls disappear in your rear-view mirror. Turn down a winding country road flanked by farm-gate stores, head into the Village of Harrison Hot Springs, and check into your cottage, suite, or lakeview room at Harrison Hot Springs Resort. After a quick wardrobe change, dip into the indoor or outdoor mineral pools which are sourced from right around Harrison Lake, adjacent to the resort. They have been providing warm, healing, and rejuvenating plunges for decades at the resort. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
