BC Business
Our brand-new column takes a look at a specific block and the businesses in it. We thought we'd start with one of our Most Resilient City's best-known streets.
We thought we’d start with one of our Most Resilient City’s best-known streets. Here’s Cleveland Avenue in Squamish, from Victoria to Winnipeg Streets.
Paula Owen. Crash Hotel
When something is advertised as “not your grandparent’s hotel,” you know it’s probably not a Four Seasons. The aptly named “Crash” hotel is a fixture on this block and a notice to the rest of the block that this stretch of road is going to transform a little bit overnight. If that’s your thing, Crash, with its boutique style and “no two rooms are the same” structure, might be for you. Oh, and some of the rooms are above Squamish’s busiest bars. Choose wisely.
The Common
WeWork hasn’t quite made its way to Squamish yet, and it might have a tough time breaking into the market with companies like The Common making their presence known in the area. With options for group and individual work, plus outside spaces where customers can work or relax, it’s hard to beat the vibe of a homegrown business like this.
Anna’s Interiors
The hold some businesses have over their customers is truly unshakeable. Take Amazon or Google, for instance, or Anna’s Interiors, which has won Squamish Chief ’s reader’s choice poll for the best home furnishings biz in the area the last dozen years in a row. The business, which has been around for over 30 years, is now being passed through generations.
Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association. Garibaldi Graphics
Right next to the Canada Post, you’ll find Garibaldi Graphics, which has outposts in both Whistler and Squamish. The printing and art supply store has been in business since 1976.
Empire of Dirt
A fitting (and, let’s be honest, awesome) name befits this antique shop, where old records and other values can be found buried in the treasure troves. Here’s hoping that the store will not let you down in your journey. (Or make you hurt.)
Carin Smolinski Photography
Another local biz with a creative name, this toy store has been in the community for over two decades. Owner Marie-Louise Towers was born and raised in Squamish and manages a Santa’s workshop full of toys from both large and small makers.
Sunflower Café
The block ends with doughnuts, as all should. The Sunflower Café serves up artisan, freshly made versions of Homer Simpson’s favourite snack, along with a variety of other pastries to go with coffee from Vancouver- based 49th Parallel. Customers have three choices of doughnut: classic, fancy and extreme. Oh, and there’s a gelato place next door if that doesn’t hit your sweet tooth.