A number of department stores have called New Westminster home through the decades, but one captured the hearts of residents in a way no other has done.
When Woodward's opened across the street from Moody Park in 1952, it had it all - a one-stop shop where residents could buy their groceries and household items, get their hair done at the salon, dine in the cafeteria - or get quick bite to eat at the takeout counter near the food floor. If they didn't want to cart their groceries to the car themselves, they could arrange to have them sent to parcel pickup, where shoppers could pull the car up and staff would load them into the vehicle.
In his book, Royal City: A Photographic History of New Westminster 1858 to 1960, New Westminster resident Jim Wolf noted that 4,000 people lined up to get in to Woodward's when it opened on March 11, 1954 - and businesses rushed in to buy lots and invest in the area.
"The opening of Woodward's and the success of the uptown set off an instant and distinct panic among the downtown merchants," Wolf wrote. "They saw their precious dreams of the Golden Mile slipping away practically overnight as shoppers abandoned the old street for sleek modern shopping centres."
Whether residents were in need of clothes, shoes, house wares, toys, groceries, Woodward's had it all. It wasn't uncommon for parents to drop their kids off in the toy section (conveniently located next to the pet and record departments) and go and do their shopping elsewhere in the store.
"Woodward's food floor was famous," says longtime New Westminster resident Tony Antonias. "People are still mourning the fact that there is still no Woodward's. It had everything."
For many residents, Christmas wasn't complete without a trip to Woodward's to view its Yuletide displays in the windows along Sixth Avenue and Sixth Street, or have the children visit with Santa in full view of shoppers passing by on Sixth Street.
In addition to being a fan of the Woodward's store in New Westminster, Antonias also has the distinction of creating the department store's legendary $1.49 Day jingle. For many people raised in B.C. and Alberta during Woodward's heyday, the familiar whistle takes them back in time.
Antonias, then creative director at CKNW, wrote the jingle on Feb. 17, 1958 to promote the popular sales that were held on the first Tuesday of the month and featured a range of items all priced at $1.49.
"Who knew that morning a legend was born?" he said. "I wrote it in '58. In '61 it was recognized by the Hollywood Advertising Club as one of the world's best commercials."
In the early 1990s, Woodward's relocated into the new Woodward's Place mall, along with Safeway and assorted retailers. Within a few years, Woodward's would close (and be replaced by Zellers, which would eventually close as well) and the mall would be renamed Royal City Centre.
Many residents of the Moody Park neighbourhood cite the area's access to the uptown shopping district, as well as shops on 12th Street, as one of the perks of living in the area.
