I loved Woodwards Department store. I remember my grandmother taking me when I was very small. When we were first married, we bought our furniture on the 30/60/90 plan. You put 25% down, paid 25% for the next three months and weren't charged any interest!
I also remember buying all my groceries there for years! Their food floor was the best. They had fresh goat milk delivered every Tuesday and I would be there to get it for Cheryl when she was little. She couldn't tolerate cows milk.
I saw this article and thought it was interesting:
One hundred and seventy-four years ago today, on July 19, 1852, Charles A. Woodward was born on a backwoods farm in Gore, Beverley Township, Canada West (now Ontario). While he was born in Ontario, his life's work would forever become part of British Columbia's history.
His story is one of determination, vision, and perfect timing.
As a young man, Woodward left the family farm to work as a storekeeper. In 1875, he opened his first general store on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, gaining valuable experience that would shape the rest of his career. But he believed the greatest opportunities lay in Canada's West.
In 1891, Woodward travelled to British Columbia, arriving in Vancouver just five years after the Great Vancouver Fire of 1886 had destroyed much of the young city. Vancouver was rebuilding at an incredible pace, fuelled by the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway and a growing population. Woodward recognized that the city had enormous potential.
In 1892, he opened his first Vancouver store at the corner of Main and Georgia Streets, in what is now Chinatown. Business was promising, but he had bigger ambitions. On September 12, 1892, he relocated to the corner of Hastings and Abbott Streets and incorporated Woodward's Department Stores Ltd.
That corner would become one of the most famous shopping destinations in Western Canada.
Only a few years later, the Klondike Gold Rush transformed Vancouver into the gateway to the Yukon. Thousands of hopeful prospectors travelled through the city on their way north, purchasing clothing, tools, food, and supplies before beginning their journey. Many of those purchases were made at Woodward's, helping the business grow rapidly during one of the most exciting periods in Canadian history.
Charles Woodward believed that customers deserved quality merchandise at fair prices, and he worked hard to earn their loyalty. His stores became known for friendly service, dependable products, and later, the legendary "$1.49 Days," which attracted enormous crowds searching for bargains. For generations of British Columbians, a trip to downtown Vancouver wasn't complete without a visit to Woodward's.
The company continued to expand well beyond Vancouver. The first store outside British Columbia opened in Edmonton in 1926, and over the following decades the chain spread across Western Canada. By 1975, Woodward's had grown to 18 department stores, making it the largest retailer in Western Canada.
Woodward's success in business led to a career in public service. In 1924, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as the Liberal member for Vancouver City. It was an impressive victory. Twenty-seven candidates competed for six seats, and Charles Woodward received more votes than any other candidate, finishing first in the election. He served until 1928, choosing not to seek another term.
His family's influence continued for decades. His son, William Culham "Billy" Woodward, served as Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1941 to 1946. His grandson, Charles Norman "Chunky" Woodward, became president of Woodward's and later gained recognition as the longtime owner of the historic Douglas Lake Cattle Company in the Nicola Valley.
Charles A. Woodward passed away in Vancouver on June 2, 1937, at the age of 84. He is buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Burnaby, where his mausoleum remains the only one in the cemetery.
Although the Woodward's department stores are gone, their legacy remains. The beautifully restored Woodward's Building still stands at Hastings and Abbott, and the famous illuminated "W" continues to shine over Vancouver's skyline. It has become one of the city's most recognizable landmarks and a reminder of a businessman whose vision helped shape retail history in British Columbia.
For many people, Woodward's was more than just a store. It was where children visited Santa at Christmas, where families shopped for school clothes, where wedding registries began, and where generations found everything from toys and furniture to groceries under one roof.
