Saturday, October 2, 2010
Saturday Special Feature
The End of the Line
North Vancouver, B.C.

"For almost 100 years there has been a store in Upper Lynn Valley.  It was there in 1910 when the Lynn Valley Street Car line was extended up the hill to the final terminus at the top of Lynn Valley Road, at Dempsey Road.  A small shack welcomed the passengers who travelled on the first streetcar that rattled its way through the snags of the denuded forest.

First "End of the Line" Store, shack at right

"The small shack probably only had a few items for sale, perhaps just local vegetables and flowers. It was soon replaced by a larger building.  In 1912 a sign painted on the wall proclaimed "Groceries and refreshments." Just the place, after taking a sightseeing trip on the streetcar from Lonsdale, or from Vancouver via the ferry, to sit and enjoy some refreshments before the return trip home.  Just the place for hikers to fill their packs with supplies before heading off across Lynn Creek to their cabins on the Mount Seymour range for the weekend.  Just the place for a tired worker heading home from the Shake Mill to call in for fresh milk or a loaf of bread... the streetcar stopped right the door of the store. It soon became known as "The store at the end of the car line."

1916 Hendricksen Store

"Frederick and Ellen Hendrichsen (sometimes spelt Hendricksen)were the first owners of this store.  Living quarters were at the back, and it must have been a tight squeeze, as they had three young children.  The "Great War" 1914-1918 began, and in 1916 Frederick, being German in birth was taken away to an internment camp as an "enemy alien."  Ellen struggled on with the operation of the store, and the raising of the children.  She must have been a very capable and determined woman.  Frederick was released from the camp in Vernon in 1919, but  it was Ellen who continued to operate the store.  Time passed and in 1926 a license to operate a Post Office was granted to Mrs. Ellen Walker Hendrichsen, with Mrs. Hossack as her assistant.  Alterations had to be made to incorporate the Post Office into the store.  It was named "Upper Lynn Sub-Post, Office." Local residents would call in daily for their mail and newspapers.  At Christmas time the Post Office corner overflowed with parcels, both incoming and outgoing.  What a place to gather for a bit of local gossip!

1920 Hendricksen's Confectionery and Tea Room

"By this time,  house had been built next door, with Mrs. Hendrichsen listed as owner, so perhaps the family had more roomy living quarters.  Frederick seems to have disappeared from the scene.  The children all went to school in Lynn Valley, and several of our pioneer residents knew them and played with them.  The store continued to thrive, and to serve the local public.  In 1941 a building permit was taken out for alterations to be done at the cost of $300.00.  There have always been living quarters at the back and now upstairs, throughout the years.

"Perhaps Ellen was sprucing up the store ready for sale.  She remained the owner and operator until the mid 1940's, when she left the area.  She died in 1960 at the age of 74.  I wonder if she ever took a ride on the streetcar to visit her old home?

"New owners came and went.  The appearance of the store, both inside and out, changed many times over the years, but it was always open until late, supplying customers with many items besides groceries, a real convenience store.  It was officially "Upper Lynn Grocery," and also "Upper Lynn Market."  Some names of owners that might be recognized-Dyson, Willets, Battrum, Ryttersgard, Howarth, and Mrs. Gwen martin.  The longest stay was of 24 years, when Bill and Fun Chow ran the store.  They raised their five daughters there.  As each girl grew old enough, she learned to serve in the store.  The chow family were missed when they left.  The store never seemed the same to local residents, although it still supplied a good selection of groceries, and, of course, candies.

"The streetcar had clattered its way up the hill for the last time in 1947, and the buses took over.  The Post Office closed down soon after house-to-house mail delivery began, and was sorely missed.  The wire-backed ice cream parlour style chairs had long gone.  So many changes, and now in the summer of 2006, the biggest one of all!

"New owner, Connie Fay, a resident of Lynn Valley in her childhood, has taken over, and has given the store a complete make-over, inside and out, and has brought the neighbourhood into the modern age!  But the origins of the store have not been forgotten.  The windows reflect the history of this spot, and the forest, that is still so close.  Just across the street is the entrance road into Lynn Headwaters Park, and the Lynn Canyon trails.  Inside the store there is a wonderful array of gift items, local art work, specialty food, tee-shirts that say you have been to the end of the line, and also, as always the basic grocery items and candy bars that still make this a convenience store. 

"So, take a trip from Lonsdale Quay on the 228 Lynn Valley bus, and stay aboard until you reach the end of the line. (4193 Lynn Valley Road) You will know it by the lovely sign that hangs above the store across the street from the bus stop.  The store that has been there, in one form or another, for almost the past 100 years.  Go inside and browse around, have an ice cream cone or a cup of coffee, and think back over the years of local history connected to this spot.

"All good wishes to Connie Fay, her family and her friends and neighbours.  We will look forward to the year 2010 when 'the store at the end of the line' celebrates its Centennial." (See Reference and Thank You to author Muriel Van Laar.)

Reference and Thank You: To author Muriel Van Laar's for her article The Store At The End of The Line, North Shore Historical Newsletter Vol. 27, No. .09, 2006, available at the North Vancouver Archives.

Photos: 1. Top photo taken in September 2010 by SW.
                 2. First "End of the Line" shack, North Vancouver Archives #2949.
                 3. 1916 Hendricksen's Store, North Vancouver Archives #8634.

                 4. 1920 Hendricksen's Confectionery and Tea Room, North Vancouver

                      Archives #6566.