Groceteria
IOCO MEMORIES
Chapter 15
Groceteria
The Ioco Grocery Store was built in 1922 and included a residence above, first occupied by owner John P. Grant. It had many owners throughout the years and over the years was variously known as Ioco store, Evans’s Grocery and Ioco Groceteria. In 1924, Grant sold the store to Swan Goranson and R. Lawson who continued its commercial use. Throughout the years the store’s building served many functions. The first floor included a drug store and post office. The store’s basement housed a barbershop, pool table, kitchen, and entertainment activities. There even was a lean-to built onto the store which housed a shoe repair shop operated by John Ronco. In the late 20’s an ice cream parlour and confections was put in the basement. In the summer there was an area outside to sit and enjoy ice cream and the beautiful flowers. The basement was sometimes referred to as The Hole, where there was a jukebox and people had fun dancing. The storekeepers took an active part in the life of the community. Denny Sherk, the last storekeeper, was a butcher, postmaster and the Ioco Community Hall custodian. Denny was also the last postmaster at loco. The Groceteria was closed by Imperial Oil in July of 1995.
(Source Port Moody Heritage Inventory: Donald Luxton and PMHS Oral Histories)
Marjory Kingsbury
They used to always have, on the porch of these stores, have these machines where you put a penny in and you got a jolt and we'd all put in a penny and one person would put in a penny and we'd all hold hands and get a jolt going right through us. That used to be a great pastime.
The General Store changed hands many times, there were the Cannings, Lumsdens, McCulloughs and some names I can't remember. Denny Sherk was the last owner, the store is still standing today (1994) but closed for business (1992).
Marjory Kingsbury
(nee Kreut)
On the porch of the store, they had these machines where you put a penny in and you got a jolt. And we’d all put in a penny- One person would put in a penny and everybody would hold hands and you’d get the jolt, it would go right through you. That used to be a great pastime.
Gregory Kingsbury
At one point in time, they had an ice cream parlour and they had little gardens outside with seats and flowers and everything. You could sit out and have your ice cream.
In the early days, there was no alternative but to shop at this store and pay the bill on payday. Mr. Goranson was a kind man, when I paid our bill for my mother, he would give me a bag of broken chocolate to take home
We used to go every night down to what we called “The Hole”. “The Hole” was underneath the store and there was a small dance floor, with a Wurlitzer and we used to go down there and dance every night. The American ships would come in and of course the soldiers staying at the Hall would come and then well it was the best of fun. Great memories of enjoying its soda fountain and jukebox.
Marjory Kingsbury
There used to be a basement in it [the Groceteria] as well and the in basement was the shoemaker and the billiard hall and then later there was a little coffee shop down there. Johnny Ronco, who was the shoemaker who used to have the Pleasantside store, well he was the shoemaker down there. He was and excellent shoemaker. He used to make a lot of beautiful shoes and Mr. Gilfillan owned the pool hall part and he had a confectionary down there so as we went down to get your nickels worth of cent candy you know five of these and ten of those sort of thing and then there was the people named Horners that owned it for a while and they had an ice cream parlor and they had little gardens outside with seats and flowers and everything you could sit out and have your ice cream.
