Whyte Avenue's Army & Navy Department Store

When I moved to Edmonton the one thing I forgot to bring was a rain jacket. With the west coast mindset that you don't go anywhere without packing along rain gear, I figured I'd be in trouble.

Victoria

But it turns out that fall in Edmonton is actually pretty dry (almost too dry, judging by the amount of chap stick I've gone through) and although it's nearly November I can count on one hand the number of times it's rained since I've been here.

Edmonton

I have a feeling that the next time water falls from the sky it won't be rain, as the mornings have become crisp, the skies bleak, and the elm trees skeletal.

a gray Saturday

I started the morning by dropping $92.59. Staples had a one-day door crasher sale and I've had my eye on a GPS for a while. Conveniently I was able to purchase it online with free delivery. While it'll be great to have a GPS, I'm terrified of becoming reliant on it. Hopefully I won't become too complacent in blindly following the robot's commands -- I'd like it to help me develop my sense of direction, rather than replace it!

I attended Mandarin class this morning, where the pace is picking up. I probably need to start reviewing more than twenty minutes before the start of class... I'm glad that the class is motivation for me to study on my own time.

lots of vocabulary today!

Back home I had a dessert lunch of chocolate chip cookie dough oats and an apple.

chocolate chip cookie dough oats -- I'm addicted

In the afternoon I stopped at Shoppers and No Frills to pick up some groceries. A block away on Whyte Avenue I decided to check out Army & Navy, a discount department store that I often drive past. Walking in was like entering one of the old Fields stores -- complete with the stuck-in-the-80s ambiance. The store is much larger than it looks from the outside, with a main floor of clothing and shoes and a basement with everything from tableware to camping gear to groceries. I wandered around for a bit, picking up a few spare pillowcases and a kitchen grater.

upstairs: clothing and shoes

downstairs: everything else!

http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/
exhibitions/cpm/catalog/ip/1247636e.shtml

It seems that Army & Navy is proud of its Canadian history. Its original store opened in Vancouver in 1919, selling liquidation stock from bankrupt stores and WWI army and navy surplus. They also ran quite a successful mail-order catalogue.

There are now six stores in BC and Alberta, but as none of these is in Victoria it's a chain I hadn't heard of. The Whyte Avenue branch is an interesting store with some unique stuff -- funky clothing, marked-down brand name shoes, and decent looking artwork. They also cut keys.

Their groceries are standard pantry foods, though I was surprised to find a kind of Dutch cookie I hadn't seen since I was a kid.

It's worthwhile paying a visit if you're setting up house or just have some time to kill on Whyte Ave. I'm sure I'll stop in every now and then.

Now I'm back at home with a blanket on the couch, watching the wind pick up outside and sipping a big mug of tea. A perfect Saturday afternoon :)