As Canadians mourn what seems to be the imminent loss of its oldest institution, the Hudson’s Bay Company, Trail Blazers takes us back to 1951 when The Bay expanded in Trail and moved to its iconic location at Cedar and Eldorado.
This site, now Pharmasave, has always been home to “box” style stores.
The CM&S’ Company Store, which opened in 1917, moved to this location in January 1926 after nearly nine years in what was known as the Doukhobor Block (Bay Avenue and Eldorado).
This retail store, providing a limited range of basic necessities like groceries, sundries, and clothing, was designed to provide its employees with moderately priced goods, often with the perk of credit.
They were common in small, industry-based towns in those days.
It was at the Company Store, after about a decade in the grocery business, that J. Lloyd Crowe, our high school’s namesake, made his early mark on the city.
By 1951, the city was celebrating its jubilee anniversary, commemorating 50 years as an incorporated municipality.
In the July 18th edition of the Trail Daily Times, the paper announced the CM&S (now Teck Trail Operations) had been entertaining interest from “several large retail chain stores” for its retail department, although stopped short of listing them.
The Bay already had a presence in Trail further up on Cedar Avenue, as well as a furniture department in the 1400 block of Bay Avenue for 10 years.
Eaton’s had not yet arrived.
In September 1951, the CM&S announced that the Hudson’s Bay Company purchased the business and would officially take over operations on Nov. 1, 1951.
All Cominco employees, including J. Lloyd Crowe, remained with the CM&S in different capacities.
The top floor also remained residences for female stenographers, as the smelter retained ownership of the building and property.
The store announced its plans to demolish the 1926 building and replace it with a new, modern store in December 1953.
Work began almost immediately and the new store opened in summer 1954.
Here it operated for another nearly 30 years.
In the early 1980s, The Bay brand left Trail and was replaced by Zellers, a company subsidiary. Another Hudson’s Bay subsidiary, Fields, became mainstay in Trail at that time, as well.
Zellers would eventually leave downtown for Waneta Plaza in the mid-1990s.
Fields and Zellers eventually left Trail in 2012 and 2013, respectively, ending the company’s presence in the city.
Trail’s demographics and bustling economy in the 1950s and 1960s justified major national chain retailers, like The Bay and Eaton’s, which arrived in 1954 at 900 Spokane Street.
The market even supported local businesses retailing similar products; there was ample business and a competitive market.
But times are changing, yet again.
Not even an iconic business with 355 years of experience can weather this economic storm.
Did you shop at The Company Store or The Bay in Trail?
Share your memories with us!
Sarah Benson-Lord manages the Trail Museum and Archives and Visitor Centre.
