This will be a personal editorial that is not Palm related. Being a former Vancouverite, I do tend to watch and keep up with Vancouver news daily so I’m still quite informed about Vancouver’s events and happenings.

I was quite saddened today by the news that at 8:33am today, Saturday Sept 30th that the old Woodwards building in downtown Vancouver was imploded to make way for new housing and hopefully a revamp of the area. Although I am not in any way related to Woodwards as no one I knew worked there, the news struck me quite hard. Like most Vancouverites who visited and shopped at Woodwards, we tend to feel a special bond with this old store that was there for so long, unfortunately, a sore sight in the past decade.

My recollection of Woodwards were back in the seventies and eighties when I loved checking out Woodwards for their $1.49 day Tuesday (I can still hear their “$1.49 Tuesday radio pitch” in my head). And especially at Christmas time when their windows were so well decorated with such elaborate decoractions and toys and moving props. It was such a joy to visit Woodwards during Christmas time when the Salvation Army people were outside with their bells, and the Santa Claus waiting for kids to take photos with him. I rememembered one time that Santa gave me a candy cane just because I was there. That was quite special for a little kid and it stuck with me to this day.

Back in those days, Woodwards was such a big store that you go there to buy practically everything. It was like a one stop shop for everything. They had their food floor department and provided their grocery pickup service where you can pick up your bags of groceries after you’re done shopping at their pick up area. Simply drive your car to the grocery pick up area and pick up your groceries. That was a free special service that was unrivaled and just part of that “Woodwards service” that you can expect from them. They were THAT special.

When Woodwards declared bankrupt, it was such a sad time. I remembered how sad it was to visit the Oakridge Center location and watch how everyone was swooning down on items, picking them like vultures. It gave me a bad feeling in the stomach to see it come down to this. And seeing the condemned building in downtown every time I pass by was quite sad. Back then, in the my childhood years, Hastings and Abbott and the blocks around in that area which included Army & Navy and some of the old Chinese restaurants across the street was such a bustling area. Also, it was bridging the edge of Gastown and the outskirts of Chinatown so this was quite a great area, at the time. And when the tide turned, the area became a slum with more businesses leaving, and then I hardly ever go there. Hopefully now things may change and the area can be clean and safe again.

I will always have fond memories of Woodwards, with the famous W sign at the top of the building, for the $1.49 Tuesday, for its Food Floor, and everything else that is special about Woodwards. It’s too bad that I never really thought much about taking a picture of its windows during Christmas (but when you’re a kid, you never think about those things) or really have anything from Woodwards to keep as a momento. Sigh. At least, I still have those warm, fond memories.

Here are some links to Woodwards as well as its history and pics of the implosion for those interested.

Woodwards wikipedia

GVTV on Woodwards

Woodwards on Flickr

MetroBlogging Vancouver

Vancouver Sun article on Woodwards

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