This photo from 1957 shows Stirrat's General Store at 386 Dollarton Highway. Before the era of major supermarkets and shopping malls, many people shopped in small, family-run neighbourhood stores.
In 1935, Robert Stirrat Jr. opened a grocery store called the Stirrat General Store across from the Dollar Mill. Robert Stirrat Jr., his wife Reta, and children Robert and Marion lived in the back of the store. In the 1940s, Robert Stirrat Sr. operated the grocery. Following the Second World War, on Jan. 1, 1949, Robert Jr. opened a new general store on the Dollarton Highway (shown in the above photo) not far from the Cummins’ Store, another well-known local establishment.
Stirrat’s General Store remained in business until 1968.
Visit the MONOVA website for more information about the history of the North Shore and to plan your visit to MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver now open at 115 West Esplanade in The Shipyards.
Currently, MONOVA: Archives of North Vancouver at 3203 Institute Road in Lynn Valley is open by appointment only. Contact: [email protected]
Navigate culture on the North Shore by using the North Shore Culture Compass.
