In 1958 a two bedroom house was listed with Loutet Agencies (here in town) for $5, 250 cash or $5,500 with terms. The five-year-old dwelling (as it was referred to) boasted a nice kitchen, a living room and a three-piece Pembroke bathroom. It also had an open staircase with two unfinished rooms upstairs and a garage and fuel storage area outside. A $3,000 down payment was required.
Running at the Lake Theatre was Elvis Presley and Lizabeth Scott in the film Loving You. The upcoming movie Tammy and the Bachelor with Debbie Reynolds was scheduled for the following week.
A St. Patrick’s Day social evening featuring Freddie Borganson’s Orchestra was to be held on March 15, 1958 at the Elks Home. For an admission fee of $1.25, one could dance the night away.
Ardley’s Red & White Store (across from Cowichan Fly and Tackle) offered sale items like two cans of corn for 27 cents; margarine at 59 cents for two pounds with Nabob coffee a mere 89 cents per pound. Free grocery delivery was offered at no extra cost. Ernie could be reached at phone number 130.
Elmer Tenny’s South Shore Service Ltd., located across from the high school, advertised complete lubrication, brake and motor tune-ups.
Delle’s Ready to Wear for ladies and children was located on South Shore Road in the former Dorothy’s Style Shop building. (Copper Lane clothing is presently in the same building.) Delle’s advertised “30 dresses on sale at almost half price.” The owners could be reached at their residence phone number 266-Y.
A Masonic Lodge Ladies Night party was to be held at the I. W. A. Hall (across from the high school). The hall took on the look of a cabaret where the Evening Circle of the United Church ladies served a delicious meal. Later in the evening dancing was enjoyed to the music of Borgerson’s Orchestra.
James Bakery was still in business and advertised fresh hot cheese bread and specialty birthday cakes. Their donuts were the favorite of many.
Don Berry’s Mesachie Lake General Store offered a variety of products including a white enamel four-burner gas range (stove) for $165. An enamel hot water tank and electric side arm heater for $50 was also advertised in the local paper.
Taylor’s Lunch motto was “It’s always coffee time at Taylor’s Lunch.” Quality chocolate in one and three pound packages was also available as were magazines, ice cream and tobacco. The building was located on the present day site of the sporting goods store.
Located on South Shore Road, Severson’s Sales and Service specialized in selling and repairing televisions, radios, record players and antenna installations. They later became the first business to offer cable TV in the Cowichan Lake area. Owners Clarence and Marie Severson later retired and lived the remainder of their lives here at the Lake.
“Real Home Cooked Meals” were the advertised specialty at the Riverside Inn Dining Room. Open seven days a week, the restaurant offered full meals of breakfast, lunch and supper daily. Today, the same location sits empty.
Cod fillets (35 cents lb.), fresh beef sausage (39 cents lb.) and rind less bacon (69 cents per lb.) were just some of the specialty cuts of meat that were available at Art Howe’s Quality Meat Market (Situated where the Cow Café now stands) The meat market also rented-out space in its cold storage locker in an era before home freezers were commonplace.