Growing up in Cloverdale the only drugstore was Kuss's. They filled prescriptions, sold pharmacy goods, candies, magazines, books, and gifts. This was the place to go if you needed to buy a birthday card and a present, especially at the last minute.
Kuss's Drugstore was on the main street of Cloverdale, on 176th Street, between Highway 10 and 57th Avenue. There is a beauty shop now in that location.
The Kuss family lived in Cloverdale and their daughter Liz was a year ahead of me in school. They knew everyone in town because everyone walked through their doors at some point to buy something they needed.
I remember they had a collection of bad cheques they used to tape up on their window, offering to let the writer buy it back. I guess this public embarrassment of having your name displayed as writing an NSF cheque would motivate people to pay up their debt. Nowadays with the Privacy Act that wouldn't fly.
Our recent hot weather has reminded me of a hot summer around 1970. Back then there was no air conditioning and Kuss had put all their chocolates on sale at half price because they were melting. My father was in the drugstore to buy something and noticed the sale and bought a box. Out of every kind of chocolate you'd think he could have bought something good. But no. He bought a box of chocolate gingers. Ewww yuck! And he enjoyed them all to himself. Good strategy now that I think of it.
Shopper's Drug Mart showed up in Cloverdale around 1973. Around that time Kuss's store name changed to the Pharmasave. I can't remember when he sold it, but late 1980's is my guess. The owner Henry kept it at the 176th Street location for several years and then moved it to the current location on 176A Street and 57th Avenue.
I remember that store as well. Every month they would hold a Seventeen magazine for me. That was when they were only 50 cents. That was in the early 1970's. I also remember I believe it was called Huntleys Drug store. Duckworths clothing store. The 5 and dime store. Those were the days
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