Throughout this year, the museum newsletter will be providing glimpses into the back story on the City’s Incorporation, history and development.
Still Standing
The spring of 1962 saw a bit of a building surge in downtown Courtenay.
The Anco Motel opened in late May of that year on Cliffe Avenue. There were a total of 28 units in its L-shaped design as well as a small coffee shop with seating for 16 guests. The $250,000 motel also boasted a heated swimming pool, first in the district, in its paved forecourt.
A brand new $400,000 supermarket opened in June 1962 on England Avenue. It was a Super-Valu store that, after several modernizations, is today’s Thrifty Foods. The original Super-Valu featured a hardware section, a customer lounge with vending machines and for the youngsters there was a “horse plus a new attraction in this area, a mechanical elephant for Johnnie and Jane to ride on.”