At the beginning of 1936, developer Angus Campbell who was “already the owner of considerable Commercial Drive property,” purchased the lot at the south-west corner of Commercial and Grant. At the time, it was empty except for Bill Pearson’s tiny shoe repair shack. By April, Campbell had completed “two handsome stores” designed specifically for Dorothy Henderson’s Blue Bird Beauty Salon and Kenneth Mattheson’s Bakery.
The Matheson Bakery, which occupied the spot now taken up by Angelo Tailors, would survive for just a few years. But the Blue Bird Beauty Salon, originally founded in 1926 by Dorothy Henderson at 1420 Commercial, is still in business — 85 years after it started.
Also founded in 1926 were Magnet Hardware (still operating as Home Hardware) and Grandview Billiards which didn’t close until 2009.
There’s a lot more to be found out in “The Drive,” available later this month.
Let me know when the book is for sale. Z
Will do!