Little Green Mart

There’s not many of these little corner stores left. Where as long ago you could find them in nearly every “old” neighbourhood across the country, they have been in decline for decades. Finding one today is a rare delight and in Calgary, the few that are still in business can be counted on one hand, maybe two. Oh those childhood memories of all that penny candy and maybe once in a while a real treat, an ice cold Coke. It didn’t get any better than that.

Here’s just such a place, housed in a building that’s close to a hundred and ten years old and for most of that time a store. It’s nice and inviting with much charm and old school character (take that 7-11!). This is Little Green Mart, tucked away down some side street in the community of South Calgary. We drop by for a snack, but found it so interesting we just had to write about it. But that’s we roll here – we find a new obsession then it’s blah-blah-blah.

City records show the structure dates from 1912. To put it all in perspective, back then Calgary had a population of less than 50k and this area was out in the ‘burbs. We used old phone books to paint a history here and while there’s gaps and dates very “ish” in nature, still we dug up a fair deal in the limited time allotted us.

Up until 1919 we believe it was a residence. From 1920-1924 it was Community Service Grocery and from 1925-1927 Service Grocery. For a time in the late 1920s it was the Price residence, briefly becoming McFarlane Bros Grocery in 1930, then was the Signal and later Morrow residences for a time. When operating as a store, it’s likely the person/family running it lived in the attached apartment at the back (?) and upstairs Looks pretty cramped though.

From 1934 all the way into 1993 it operated as Hillside Grocery (perhaps with several owners). That’s an awesome almost sixty year stretch where it kept the same name. Right after Hillside closed and again later that decade it was a residence again (many names), and in between, ca 1995-1998 Hui’s Grocery. Then it gets a little foggy and the phone book trail a little cold account missing volumes. For perhaps a decade or so, starting about 2002 (rough guess) it was Michelle’s Grocery & Confectionery. Not sure what happened in the interim.

The name Hugh’s Grocery shows up in the 2010s era. We did find photos showing a sign with that name on the south wall of the store from about then. However, it looked so faded and vintage that it sort of puts into question this later timeline. Hmmm. And then there’s this…is Hugh the earlier Hui? It’s not odd for folks from overseas to take on anglicized names similar in phonetics or structure to their own, but made “easy”, so they can fit in.

More recently, so after 2017, it become Little Green Mart. And while it looked a tad run down before they took possession, the store has been modernized and tidied up, while still retaining that pleasing character of old. Gone now are the vintage Coke and 7Up signage that once decorated the exterior. Too bad they couldn’t have been saved as iconic reminders of what was.

In it’s pre-fixed up state, we imagine the ancient wood flooring, well worn. There’s old shelving witness to dozens of coats of paint. There’s a vintage chest style Coke cooler, faded red and showing dings and scratches from years of service abuse. On the counter, it’s a pile of newspapers, the Herald and Albertan, which fly out the door. Smokes are kept in a big rack behind the counter – it was these (and latter lotto and junk food) that brings in the dough. Vices pay the best.

And a most joyous place for a kid, there’s racks full of chocolate, those sour things and the gum that made your teeth all black. Oh, and mojos! A favourite were the grab bags for maybe a dime, with some of this and some of that, with each mix unique. For some pocket change (swiped from the folk’s) you got entry into heaven.

In the past there used to be a pay phone out front. These were a corner store fixture and similarly have mostly gone the way of the Dodo. And to think these used to make good coin for the Telcos.

While we milled about, a good number of people dropped by to shop, so as an unscientific cursory sampling, this suggests business is good. What a nice break from all those endless look-alike convenience stores/gas bars, soulless and stark, florescent-lit and with nameless/faceless staff. At an independent store you get to know who works the floor, the owner and often their family, by name. Here’s hoping Little Green Mart are at it from a long time. It’s a welcoming place and the old building is so cool

It just hit us, LGM is a true “corner store”, so not mid-block but at the junction of two streets.

In the 1980s your author lived not far away, and recalls dropping by when it was Hillside Grocery once in a while when out exploring (was even doing it back then).

This was going to be a “Short Subject” piece, but long winded us got carried away as usual. We so love old corner stores that we just couldn’t stop and now what was to be a few paragraphs is many times that. I know, “shut the **** up!”

If you have any Little Green Mart or Hillside Grocery memories, or any of the other names it operated under, please share them in the comments. And if you visit the business (disclaimer: once Covid is behind us), make a purchase and tell them you saw this post

They’re saying…

”Always amazed to see what these two manage to find out about in the history of Alberta” Candy Belliveau.

This…
Super S Drugs – Once a Calgary institution.
Queenstown Community Hall – A former theatre.
Lethbridge then and now – Berte, George’s, William’s Grocery – Keeping that corner store theme.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date of Adventure: September, 2019.
Location(s): Calgary, AB.
Article references and thanks: Telus & AGT phone books @ Medicine Hat and District Genealogical Society, City of Calgary land records.
We think you should drop by the Little Green Mart and say Hi!

For much of the last century its been a corner store.