It's hard not to think of The Bay being part of Vernon's Village Green Centre.
The Hudson's Bay Company is one of the original tenants at the mall's south end, but after the HBC was sold to Canadian Tire 香蕉视频直播� which moved to the north end slot at Village Green Centre a handful of years ago 香蕉视频直播� The Bay closed its doors for good in Vernon Sunday, June 1, at 5 p.m. Just two months shy of 50 years 香蕉视频直播� the Village Green Centre opened Aug. 6, 1975.
And still, people were at The Bay until the bitter end. The store was pretty much bare, but people were buying jewelry, and what little women's clothing was left Sunday was going for as low as $5.
Michelle Steffl of Vernon was there. Not to shop, but to say goodbye to a place she worked at for a decade from 2013-2023, and to meet up with some of her former co-workers.
"It was a fun place to work. There was always a lot of laughter," said Steffl, 50, who now works across 27th Street at Reitman's, near Walmart.
Steffl arrived at The Bay at about 4:30 p.m. Everyone inside the shop at closing time was politely asked to leave, and former employees gathered for a photo under the Hudson's Bay sign at the side parking lot entrance. The reunion lasted until about 5:30 p.m.
"There was a lot of laughter, a lot of people, a lot of memories, and there were a few tears shed," she said.
Steffl spent eight of her 10 years at the Bay working in the back as a stock person, and put in a couple of years in women's clothing. She was looking for work in 2013 and was going to plenty of interviews when The Bay offered her a job. She hates to see the store close.
"It's sad," said Steffl. "But I'm happy for the memories I have."
The history of the Hudson's Bay Company in Vernon goes back more than a century.
The story begins, according to the Museum and Archives of Vernon, in 1887 when an HBC scout named J. Ogden Grahame was sent to evaluate the potential of establishing an outlet in the North Okanagan. Grahame visited Spallumcheen and what was then known as Priest's Valley 香蕉视频直播� now Vernon. Priest's Valley was selected because it had better prospects for transportation.
The first HBC store opened on 30th Avenue (Barnard Avenue) near what is now Nature's Fare.
A new HBC building was erected in 1893 next door to the original store. Nearly two decades later, a grand, new store was built at 3201-30th Ave., what is today, CIBC. The Vernon News described the building that opened in 1912 as "imposing and beautiful." The building included a tea room with daily two-hour services from 3-5 p.m., and a ladies restroom complete with writing desks 香蕉视频直播� a "welcomed luxury for weary shoppers."
The Bay remained there until 1975 when it relocated to its final home, the Village Green Mall (now Centre).
