RIP-- Woodward's Food Floor

[stovetop]

Woodward’s Food Floor

What a stupid decision Management made when they sold the food floors to Safeway. It was a immediate down fall for the long time Western Chain, they where scrambling trying to compete in the tight retail sector, through these years the retail sector in Canada was a war zone, when the dust settled we lost a few Canadian retail giants.

Woodward’s food floor was so many years ahead of the rest of the food retail sector in Western Canada, they had their complete brand name products, such as jams, can fruit and many other can and prepared food products.

When Safeway bought the food floor they closed down all the Canadian food processing plants, this alone killed a very viable food production industry in the Okanogan. This affected the whole BC food industry and even today I feel that the scars run deep in an industry that tries to compete in the world market.

How did the government ever let this sale go through and who was leading those dumb decisions in the board room in corporate Woodward’s??

I miss the food floors, even today they would fit in very well, they had the best bakeries, delis, and specialty food sections that rival the best food stores can offer today in the West’s big cities; Vancouver Calgary, and Edmonton.

Please tell us you Woodward’s stories???

They had the best Christmas Scenes.

steve

[Keith Talent]

As an ethnic Ukrainian, albeit a half dozen generations removed from the motherland, a set of Woodwards shopping bags was always known as "Ukrainian matched luggage" in my family. All my great-aunts and my great grandmother would have a meetup on dollar fouty-nine day. I pity the poor clerk that would have to tell that group that they were out of stock on a sale item.

Special bonus quiz time; Who knows which Whistler ski run is named after a member of the Woodwards family? Prize; One used Nyquil cup and a 2003 edition of the Vanmag restaurant guide, slightly dog eared, some pages stuck together with what appears to be ice cream from Casa Gelato. If it helps I can probably get it autographed by Mr. Maw.

[jamiemaw]

As an ethnic Ukrainian, albeit a half dozen generations removed from the motherland, a set of Woodwards shopping bags was always known as "Ukrainian matched luggage" in my family. All my great-aunts and my great grandmother would have a meetup on dollar fouty-nine day. I pity the poor clerk that would have to tell that group that they were out of stock on a sale item.

Special bonus quiz time; Who knows which Whistler ski run is named after a member of the Woodwards family? Prize; One used Nyquil cup and a 2003 edition of the Vanmag restaurant guide, slightly dog eared, some pages stuck together with what appears to be ice cream from Casa Gelato. If it helps I can probably get it autographed by Mr. Maw.

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Chunky's Choice. I'm sure that Intrawest could sell it to Ben and Jerry. Named for "Chunky" Woodward. My profile, circa 1971, is embedded on a fir tree on the starboard side of the run. Not by choice.

[nwyles]

As an ethnic Ukrainian, albeit a half dozen generations removed from the motherland, a set of Woodwards shopping bags was always known as "Ukrainian matched luggage" in my family. All my great-aunts and my great grandmother would have a meetup on dollar fouty-nine day. I pity the poor clerk that would have to tell that group that they were out of stock on a sale item.

Special bonus quiz time; Who knows which Whistler ski run is named after a member of the Woodwards family? Prize; One used Nyquil cup and a 2003 edition of the Vanmag restaurant guide, slightly dog eared, some pages stuck together with what appears to be ice cream from Casa Gelato. If it helps I can probably get it autographed by Mr. Maw.

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Is it Franz's run ? Please tell me it is as I am short one glass from my wine sampling set.

Shit , I see that Mr. Maw has it. Perhaps he would put the wine sampling cup on ebay ?

Edited December 13, 2004 by nwyles (log)

[Keith Talent]

I'm currently trying to stain Rob Feenies sillouette into it with port prior to putting it on ebay.

[Daddy-A]

Special bonus quiz time; Who knows which Whistler ski run is named after a member of the Woodwards family? Prize; One used Nyquil cup and a 2003 edition of the Vanmag restaurant guide, slightly dog eared, some pages stuck together with what appears to be ice cream from Casa Gelato. If it helps I can probably get it autographed by Mr. Maw.

Chunky's Choice. I'm sure that Intrawest could sell it to Ben and Jerry. Named for "Chunky" Woodward. My profile, circa 1971, is embedded on a fir tree on the starboard side of the run. Not by choice.

Damn! Here I was actually working and I missed the quiz! I knew that one too.

A.

[Sam Salmon]

Yes those stores were ahead of their time.

The brands as mentioned were strong and the quality was first rate.

Imported goods too-I remember buying something called Fish Curry Sauce in a can, trying it and being amazed at the complexity of flavour.

I knew the end of the road was coming though when one day I made the mistake of asking some man standing behind a service counter for a telephone book-he looked at me like I'd spit @ him.Some female employee scuttled over and offered to get me one.

Of course the old codger was some sort of Supervisor and resented being treated like an employee/having to deal with living customers.

That sort of attitude became all too common, they were spending more money on security people to hide behind store shelves with Walkie Talkies trying to catch shoplifters than they were on floor staff.

Thus died the dream...

[Daddy-A]

I don't remember too much about the food floors ... except for the drive-up loading zone and the rooftop parking at the store in New Westminster. I also have fond childhood memories of "Breakfast with Santa" at the Woodwards Downtown ... complete with eggs and bacon, and my favorite, cinnamon toast in the shape of a teddy bear.

A.

[Foodie in Vancouver]

Our family always grocery shopped at Woodward's and the Woodward's food floor in the Arbutus Village Mall was affectionately known as "Little Woodward's" because there was no department store - just the groceries. I can still hear the jingle for $1.49 day. Their branded products were excellent, as was their selection. The other thing I remember was the annual sale of beef from the Douglas Lake Ranch. And the staff were so wonderful, helpful and pleasant. Once the stores turned into Safeway stores I never went back - it was too much of a fall from grace. Stong's is the closest thing we have to the way it used to be.

[stovetop]

Making of the greatest bouillabaisse from time life picture book 1958

This book was a great cook book in our house hold and through out the seventies it was totally a retro thing, the men where kings of the BBQ in the 50’s, now it is way old but back in the seventies it become totally retro.

Way back in time sometime around 1978 , during this decade the Edmonton Eskimos ruled the CFL, the family put on a big Grey Cup party, this was a common occurrence but on this day it was extra special. Mom was going to make that classic version of bouillabaisse, from the old time life cook book, the amazing thing on this night was this dish was only one of many main dishes that circulated that night on that fine Grey Cup evening

The main thing is the trip to Woodward’s and the $300.00 dollar bill; we had three carriages full of food, which become a record and it lasted indefinitely, one carriage was filled with just seafood, the other two with so many cheeses, crackers, fruit, hams, sardines, other canned fish, and so many vegetables.

We were shopping which seemed like an eternity

Even in the seventies Woodward’s food floors had an amazing selection of food, the seafood section was complete, prawns, mussels, crab, shrimp and so much more.

What a party!

from a woodwards source

* Strawberries a la Tsarina *2 cups strawberries, washed & stemmed

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 tablespoons port wine

2 tablespoons orange curaçao

2 tablespoons cognac

1 tablespoon curaçao

1 cup whipped cream

Combine the strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Chill.

Stir the port, 2 tablespoons of curaçao and cognac together; pour over the strawberries.

Mix 1 tablespoon curaçao with the whipped cream.

To serve: Spoon the strawberries and liquid into two dishes and top with the whipped cream.

Yield: 2 servings.

This recipe comes from an old recipe sheet put out by Woodward's Food Floors, Bea Wright Recipes No.69v.VII. Unfortunately Woodward's is no longer in existence.

family vocation

David J. Goa

Noted Canadian Philosopher and Educator

Reflections on the Spiritual Vocation of the Family

“Early Saturday morning, before much was stirring in the household, we would leave, walk several blocks through the neighbourhood, and catch the bus which would take us to the centre of Edmonton. In the 1950s Edmonton was a modest provincial capital serving a largely agricultural area. Often one would meet an acquaintance, friend, or neighbour on its main streets and nods of recognition were more common than not.

This was the weekly trek to pick up groceries for the family. Woodwards was the largest department store in the city and it had a wonderful food section. My father, a native son of Norway who loved the gifts of his homeland, was always able to find a little Norwegian cheese - Nokkelost or Gammelost - or a tin of King Oscar Sardines, caught by the fishermen of his home town of Stavanger and packaged there, as well as the wonderful gifts of the earth from his adopted Canadian soil. Creation's gifts were a delight and pleased his heart.

We always left the groceries at Woodwards to be picked up later when we were ready to go home. We would then walk over to the Rice Street Fish Market and smell the sea, lakes, and rivers. I played with the sawdust on the floor. On special occasions my father would pick up a few Icelandic herring, or perhaps a few shrimp, or a crab boiled on board the fishing boat and ready to be eaten. Their brilliant red colour brings my father's image to mind to this day. Shrimp and crab were his own special treat, eaten with great gusto, a communion of memory, bringing his childhood home to our table. Anyone invited to join in this raw feast from the sea was privileged indeed. As a child, I disliked the smell and would rarely have a taste of these delicacies even when they were offered. But even then I knew that those who were offered a nibble were blessed people in my father's eyes.”

woodwards history video

History

Timeline

Wodwards picture edmonton

[Mooshmouse]

I don't remember too much about the food floors ... except for the drive-up loading zone and the rooftop parking at the store in New Westminster.  I also have fond childhood memories of "Breakfast with Santa" at the Woodwards Downtown ... complete with eggs and bacon, and my favorite, cinnamon toast in the shape of a teddy bear. 

A.

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I'm with you Arne. A little hazy about the food floors themselves, but I remember loving the drive up the ramp to the rooftop parkade at the New West store. And lunch at Woodwards, always lunch: fish and chips with cubes of jello for dessert. Not just any jello. Red or orange jello topped by a dollop of "whipped cream" that you could remove in once piece with your fingers.

[maxmillan]

My sister and I occassionally went to get their yummy soft malt ice-cream. Where, oh where, can one get this malt ice-cream?

[lannie]

My sister and I occassionally went to get their yummy  soft malt ice-cream.  Where, oh where, can one get this malt ice-cream?

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Oh, my siblings and I did this, too! It was called the "Malt Stop" and was located under the escalators. I still remember how delicious it tasted......

Edited December 15, 2004 by lannie (log)

[peppyre]

OMG!!! THE JELLO!! Moosh, just your mention of it brought back the flavour. Not quite real cream, not quite sure what that stuff was. But oh it was so good. Especially on an afternoon shopping with my grandma.

"Dollar forty nine day..."

Edited December 15, 2004 by peppyre (log)

[Daddy-A]

"Dollar forty nine day..."

Back in my "radio days" I worked with the man who wrote that jingle. His name is Tony Antonias, and he was one of the most brilliant copy-writers I worked with. Very old-school, but could write a dozen 30 second ads in the time it took me to do 1. It was Tony you heard whistling that jingle.

True story ... albeit off topic.

A.

[Mooshmouse]

"Dollar forty nine day..."

Back in my "radio days" I worked with the man who wrote that jingle. His name is Tony Antonias, and he was one of the most brilliant copy-writers I worked with. Very old-school, but could write a dozen 30 second ads in the time it took me to do 1. It was Tony you heard whistling that jingle.

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Damn you both! You have committed the criminal act of DSI: Deadly Song Implant. Now I'll have, "Dollar forty-nine day Woodwards, dollar forty-nine day Tuesday" playing in my head for the rest of the evening!

My sister and I occassionally went to get their yummy  soft malt ice-cream.  Where, oh where, can one get this malt ice-cream?

←

Oh, my siblings and I did this, too! It was called the "Malt Stop" and was located under the escalators. I still remember how delicious it tasted......

←

I lived on hot dogs and malts from both the Malt Stop and Willie Woozle in elementary school. Now, as a guilty pleasure, I pull up to the Wendy's drive-thru window and order a Frosty which seems to be the closest thing I can find to a malt these days.

[peppyre]

I've the jingle in my head since this thread began. The sign of a good copywriter!

[*Deborah*]

"Dollar forty nine day..."

Back in my "radio days" I worked with the man who wrote that jingle. His name is Tony Antonias, and he was one of the most brilliant copy-writers I worked with. Very old-school, but could write a dozen 30 second ads in the time it took me to do 1. It was Tony you heard whistling that jingle.

←

Damn you both! You have committed the criminal act of DSI: Deadly Song Implant. Now I'll have, "Dollar forty-nine day Woodwards, dollar forty-nine day Tuesday" playing in my head for the rest of the evening!

My sister and I occassionally went to get their yummy  soft malt ice-cream.  Where, oh where, can one get this malt ice-cream?

←

Oh, my siblings and I did this, too! It was called the "Malt Stop" and was located under the escalators. I still remember how delicious it tasted......

←

I lived on hot dogs and malts from both the Malt Stop and Willie Woozle in elementary school. Now, as a guilty pleasure, I pull up to the Wendy's drive-thru window and order a Frosty which seems to be the closest thing I can find to a malt these days.

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I had a Frosty on Sunday! When I lived in Montreal, we used to dip our french fries in our Frosties. I have no idea why...I guess it's similar to the chocolate-covered pretzel, sweet and salty phenomenon.

I haven't been there in a while, but you used to be able to get a malted at the hotdog stand outside Super-Valu in Park Royal, but I have a horrible feeling that hotdog stand is gone...