Anyone who grew up in Vancouver probably had meat or haggis from this shop. My mom would always buy haggis for Robbie Burns day.
"The Larder of the Wise" by M. Anne Wyness - The Story of Vancouver's James Inglis Reid Ltd. A Scottish-style butcher shop, at 559 Granville Street, from 1915-1986. Began on Main Street, which was then Westminster Avenue and later, moved the business to Harris Street - now Georgia Street and one final move in 1915 to 559 Granville Street, capitalizing on the shift of commercial activities in the area. Two years later, after the final move, he hired an experienced butcher, fellow Scotsman, Horatio Nelson Menzies. Between Reid's business-sense and Menzies' valuable meat processing knowledge, the company began to flourish. The shop's offerings expanded to include a variety of house-made Scottish specialties and fresh sausages. Reid retired from the business in 1949, and Gordon Wyness, Reid's son-in-law, took over the management and ran the business for another 40 years.
The caveat for closure was the second phase expansion of the Pacific Centre Mall. The building was sold and the business wound down in December 1986. When the shop was purchased in 1922, Reid embarked on a major renovation. The basement became the site for the smoke house curing operations, coolers and supplies storage area. The main floor was the retail space, and the floors and the counters were outfitted in black and white marble, and a cooler for fresh meat was added. The second floor was reserved for the business office, locker room, lunch room and cheese maturing storage area, while the top floor became the baking area and kitchen for production of goods, such as fresh sausages.
About the author: Born in Montreal, Anne Wyness grew up in Vancouver. Throughout her professional nursing career, she focused on the care of adults in high acuity settings, particularly in the neurosciences, clinical feeding and interprofessional education. She is an Associate Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia. In retirement, Anne continues to learn about Vancouver's history as a member of the Vancouver Historical Society and of the Readers Panel of British Columbia History Magazine. She served on the Board of Friends of the Vancouver City Archives and continues to be a member of the Society
