Some of my fondest childhood memories include local corner stores.
Small stores in residential neighbourhoods are historic and cherished assets in our communities, and the City of Vancouver is launching a public engagement program to explore ways to support and possibly expand these kinds of businesses.
Vancouver used to have lots of shops and services sprinkled throughout its neighbourhoods. At their peak, in the 1920s, there were approximately 260 active corner stores. However, when the first zoning bylaw was introduced, these stores were seen as less desirable, and planning regulations made them hard to build. The number of stores has been declining ever since.
Over the last few decades, there has been a renewed interest in supporting corner stores. Some small changes to zoning regulations have been made, but there is the opportunity to do more.
More recently, in 2022, Council approved the Vancouver Plan – a long-range strategy to guide growth and change in the city. One of the core objectives of the Plan is the creation of more complete neighbourhoods, where people have easy access to daily and weekly needs. Corner stores could play a role in helping to achieve that goal.