From candy & cigarettes to a coastal cocoon
Michigan Market gets a makeover BY ISABELLE SOUTHCOTT isabelle@prliving.ca
Just mention the old Michigan Market to locals of a certain age, chances are pretty good that their eyes will light up as they tell you stories about buying penny candy. Although that store has long since closed, the building has taken on a new life thanks to Marc Dupuis and France Gendron’s massive 2018 renovation of the old building.
The building, located at 4639 Michigan Avenue one block below Joyce near Safeway, has had several different purposes in its life – starting as a scale shack. “It was one of five shacks located along skid road,” said current-owner Marc. “Michigan Landing (now Willingdon Beach) was where wood was dumped into the water.” Michigan Landing was the home of the Michigan-Puget Sound Logging Company until 1918 and squatters lived in this spot until 1926 when the Powell River Company pulled the lease and the beach became a community playground in 1928. When Marc was renovating the building, he was able to see the original 12 by 16-foot scale shack. Log scalers worked out of shacks like these (also called scaling stations) to determine the board feet in each log and to keep their records.
MARKET TIMELINE Putting together a timeline of the store on Michigan Avenue hasn’t been easy but thanks to local historian Doug Love and members of his Facebook page, You Know You Grew Up in Powell River if, and Pulp, Paper and People, 75 Years of Powell River (1988) By Karen Southern and Peggy Bird, we were able to cobble together a short history.
1928 Michigan Market was once a cottage on Michigan Beach and was moved in 1928 when the Powell River Company developed WIllingdon Beach. It was a private home for a while belonging to Fred Reavies and then the Belyks.
Late 1940s In 1946 it became Hart’s Store; in 1948, Mrs. Betts bought it and it became Bett’s Store.
1953 Alice and Nilo Mantoani took over and it became Nilo’s Grocery.
1959
Candy & comics
Isabel and Edward Farrell purchased the store and operated it as Riley’s (named after their middle son).
Lionel and Anne Desilets moved right next door to the old Michigan Market in 1954. They raised their seven children there and Lionel, now 96, stayed there until 2013 when Anne passed away. He remembers being told that his house, the store, a small house next to the store and the old Sunset Lodge were buildings that had been moved to Michigan Avenue many years earlier (around 1926) from Michigan Landing when the old railway closed. At one time, the store was called Bett’s
1971-2 It became Walker’s Groceries under Hazel Walker.
1973 Patty and Earl Gamblin purchased it and changed the name again, this time to Gamblin’s Michigan Market.
Mid-1970s Santosh (Toshi) and Les Russell operated it as Michigan Market and Services for years as Les offered refrigeration and appliance repair services. The Russells added the Christian Bookstore to the Michigan Market. After Les died in the late 90s, Toshi sold the store.
POWELL RIVER LIVING • january 2019 •
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