During the 1950s, the Riverside Inn Dining Room, which advertised “Real Home-Cooked Meals,” served breakfast from 7:00 a.m., dinner from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., followed by supper after 5:00 p.m.
Over the decades the area used as the dining room underwent many changes, had many owners and served a multitude of hungry customers.
Today, the space is empty.
Aitken Auto Renew, owned and operated by Dave Aitken, was situated at the top of Darnell Road beside the Legion and did all sorts of collision repairs and painting.
Over the years, the auto body business operated under many owners but remained at the same location.
Lake Service garage owner Henry Nash was well known from the 1940s on, and was known for his ability to repair anything with four wheels.
In 1958 he was also the Dodge and Desoto dealer for this area.
The motto “We Pull For The Lake” was written on the doors of his tow truck.
He was located directly across the road from present day Home Hardware/IDA Pharmacy.
Another business that operated in the 1958 was Cameron & Neva Contracting Ltd., owned and operated by Swan Neva and Colin Cameron. Prior to forming then dissolving the partnership, Swan and Mary Neva (who started the business in 1947) operated the business under the name S. Neva (Trucking).
Today, their son Gordon operates both his own contracting business (Gordon Neva Contracting) as well as the original S. Neva Contracting. Keeping up the family tradition, Gordie Tuck, grandson of Swan and Mary, presently operates his own contracting business, which is not connected to the original business.
Unsure where this was located, Burt’s TV Service, situated somewhere here in town, advertised themselves as television specialists and charged $4 per service call.
Advertising “Its Always Coffee Time at Taylors Lunch,” the cafe occupied a site that presently houses the McQuinn Sound building on South Shore Road.
In addition to coffee, sandwiches, milkshakes etc., Taylors biggest sellers were cigarettes, candies, chocolate bars, magazines, ice cream and tobacco. Crawford and Sanderson’s Shell Service Station advertised Goodyear Tires as low as $13.95.
Two phone numbers were provided, days 153 - nights 170-X or 230-W.
Lake Cowichan Machine Shop did “all types” of machine work, welding, repairs, and fabricating with a large stock of nuts and bolts.
The business operated from a building (that more recently held H & H Guns), which was located on South Shore Road between present day Bargain Store, and the South Shore Road bridge.
Lake Cowichan Bakery, K. Flakstad proprietor, opened for business in March 1958 and featured, as a special, Health Bread (Try it, it’s good for you).
The bakery was located near the present day dental office of Dr. Ken Welch.
Dick Watson of Youbou’s Watson Electric advertised House Wiring and Electrical Contracting as his specialties. By the mid 1960s, Dick and his wife Grace opened the Lunch Tray restaurant near the footbridge in Lake Cowichan.
The Lake Theatre movie advertisement for the week of March 27, 1958 promoted the upcoming showing of Debbie Reynolds in “Tammy and the Batchelor.”
The following week, Rock Hudson in “Something of Value” was to be shown.