White Rock pays tribute to longtime businesses

WHITE ROCK — As one of their last acts as a team, White Rock council honoured some of the city most-established businesses Monday night (Nov. 3).

Using 25 years or longer as the criteria, White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin said council felt it was time to shine some light on the businesses that have helped shape the city into what it was today.

“They’ve been doing this many years, and in some instances several generations have been in the same business,” he said.

In total, 53 businesses were honoured, and Baldwin apologized if others had been left off the list.

“We tried to do the best we could using the records we could find,” he said.

Several businesses just squeaked into the criteria of 25 years and over, such as Definition Hair, Giraffe Restaurant and Howes’ Market.

Others hitting the 30 and over mark included Hallmark Carpets, Charlie Don’t Surf and Buy-Low Foods.

J&H Grocery and Confectionary joined KFC, J. Lorne Ginther Law and Hillcrest Bakery and Deli in the 40-years-plus category and those coming in at the half-century mark include Penguin Meat Supplies, Skyline Market and Cosmo’s Restaurant.

Two businesses, The White Rock Player’s Club and White Rock Travel were honoured as the longest-running in the city, coming in at 60 and 62 years, respectively, making them older than the municipality itself.

“I know there’s’ some concern with maintaining business in White Rock and this group has really done a great job staying with us and providing us with the services we need,” said Baldwin. “Being able to provide customer services and unwavering quality products means they’ve been around a long time and that shows how you survive as a business.”

The total businesses are as follows:

Bread Box: 30 years

Buy-Low Foods: 35 years

Charlie Don’t Surf: 30 years

Cottage Lunch: 35 years

Damianos Pizza: 30 years

Definition Hair: 25 years

Design Group: 28 years

Deslauriers Chiropractic Group: 25 years

Five Corners Café: 35 years

Giraffe Restaurant: 25 years

Hallmark Carpets: 30 years

Hilltop Petro Canada: 30 years

Hilltop Plumbing: 35 years

Howe's Market: 25 years

J&H Grocery & Confectionery: 44 years

J. Amber Goddyn Notary: 30 years

Kappa Restaurant: 30 years

Kidazzles: 25 years

King Koin Laundromats: 35 years plus

La Baia Italian Restaurant: 29 years

HSBC Bank of Canada: 30 years plus

Laura’s Fashion Fabrics: 25 years plus

Leela Thai Restaurant: 25 years plus

Marlin Travel Thomas Cook: 25 years plus

Mary Lees Salon of Beauty: 25 years plus

Morrow Falk Family Pharmacy: 30 years

Pamper Me Slimming & Beauty: 30 years

Pavlos Restaurant: 25 years plus

Poultry in Motion: 25 plus years

Royal Bank: 25 years plus

Salty’s Fish and Chips: 25 years plus

Scotiabank: 30 years plus

Soft Curl Coiffures/Tarek’s Cuts: 30 years plus

Spiral Dance Company: 25 years plus

SandPiper Pub: 30 years plus

Boathouse Restaurant: 25 years

Gallery and Arts Supplies: 30 years

Toronto Dominion Bank: 30 years plus

Uli’s Restaurant: 25 years plus

Whitby’s Books & Gifts: 26 years

White Rock Denture Clinic: 30 years plus

White Rock Gallery: 25 years plus

Yucca Tree Café: 25 years plus

The "big ones" are as follows:

Cosmo’s Restaurant: 50 years

Country Sun: 39 years

J. Lorne Ginther Law: 47 years

Hillcrest Bakery & Deli: 40 years plus

KFC: 40 years

Moby Dick: 39 years

Penguin Meat Supplies: 50 years

Skyline Market: 50 years plus

White Rock Player’s Club: 60 years

White Rock Travel: 62 years