Langford Closure: WIN/Women in Need

 The WIN thrift shop in Langford closed at the end of November.

Port Coquitlam: New Salvation Army (or new location?)

 The Salvation Army will be opening a new shop at 2850 Shaughnessy St in the Shaughnessy Station mall this coming Wednesayday 28 October.

I am uncertain if this shop is in addition to or replaces the current locaion at 2275 Elgin Avenue on the other side of the railway tracks.

Victoria: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria Garage Sales UPDATE

 The Victoria chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters is holding sales of non-clothing items.   Sales are held in the parking garage  area of the offices at 230 Bay Street in Victoria West on a monthly basis.

The last sale for the year will be tomorrow Saturday 17 October, 10-14h.

Victoria Closure: Habitat for Humanity ReStore Burnside

Sometime in the past few months,  Habitat for Humanity's Victoria chapter closed its 3rd location on Burnside Road (formerly occupied by a Home Hardware) that was newly-opened in the past 2 years.

Victoria Closures: St Vincent de Paul in Sooke and Saanich

Due to difficulties and challenges in the logistics of donation handling, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has closed two locations; the ones in Sooke and in central Saanich (Keating Cross Road).    The Society had close its shops in Victoria and Sidney a coule of years ago.   The shops in Langford and Esquimalt remain for now.

 https://www.ssvpvancouverisland.ca/news/posts/store-closing

Kamloops closure: Salvation Army

Just received social media feed that the Salvation Army in Kamloops is permanently closing the thrift shop located at 533 Tranquille.

Kelowna Closure: IODE

Despite having a rather anachronistic name, the Imperial Order Daughters of rhe Empire has advocated women's education.  The Kelowna chapter has operated a thrift shop in Kelowna for 65 years but sadly, the chapter closed the thrift shop at the end of May 2020.

New Page: Southern Boundary/Crow's Nest Highway

A new page has been added to the listings.  The Southern Boundary page lists thrift shops along (or close by) Highway 3 / Crow's Nest Highway.  Thrifht shops in Princeton, Keremeos, Westrbridge, Grand Forks, Castlegar, Rossland, Trail, Fruitvale, Salmo, Creston, Cranbrook and Sparwood. 

https://bcthriftshop.blogspot.com/p/southern-boundary-princeton-to-sparwood.html

Osoyoos is covered in the Southern Okanagan page.

A Trip to the Southern Interior - POSTPONED

A social-distancing visit to family in the sourthern interior will be undertaken in a few weeks.  Hopefully, thrift shops not previously visited and/or covered in Castlegar, Grand Forks, Osoyoos, Keremeos and Princeton will be added, as well as those in Trail and Rossland.


Update

Unfortunately due to damage caused during a prior rental and hence cancellation of booking by the owner, the RV trip has been cancelled.  I will highlight the thrift shops one could hypothetically visit on a drive along the southern boundary / Highway 3 in B.C.

Kelowna Closure: Salvation Army thrift shop on Sutherland Avenue

The Kelowna Salvation Army has announce the closure of the Sutherland Avenue thrift shop with immediate effect.  The Rutland and Westbank branches remain.

Kelowna: Possible Closure of Rutland Healthcare Auxiliary thrift shop?

I saw in social media feed (from the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation) that the Auxiliary to Kelowna General Hospital voted to close down last month.  Along with auxiliaries to hospital through out B.C., this hospital auxiliary operates a thrift shop which is in the Rutland neighborhood.  Hopefully the thrift shop will continue to operate.

Saanich: St Aidan's United Church amalgamation

St. Aidan's United Church in Saanich has amalgamated with Cadboro bay United Church to form Broad View United Church.  The church will be homed at Cadboro Bay United Church's premises.  The St. Aidan's location will be retained and the Friendly Octopus thrift shop will keep operating as the Broad View Thrift Store.

http://www.broadviewthriftstore.com/

Updated 29 July 2020

Impending Closure: Maple Ridge Economy Cottage/Hospital Auxiliary Thrift

The Maple Ridge/Ridge Meadows Hospital Auxiliary's Economy Thrift Shop on Dewdney Trunk Road will be closing at the end of June.  This is the third permament closure of a thrift shop in Maple Ridge in the past year or so.

Slowly Reopening

With the gradual lifting of social isolation, many thrift shops are planning reopenings.   Please check with your local thrift shops.

Vernon: Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Rather unbenown to me, Habitat for Humanity opened a ReStore in Vernon, hidden in the back building of a mall off the highway.

Located at 2707C 43 Avenue just west of the highway.

https://www.habitatforhumanityokanagan.ca/restore/

List of current thrift shop closures

List (incomplete) of  thrift shop closures due to the pandemic

Location     Thrift Shop  Dates (tentative)

Abbostford  Salvation Army   until further notice (UFN)
Agassiz   Agassiz Thrift  UFN
Burnaby   Burnaby Hospice     17-31 March
Burns Lake   Burnas Lake Thrift  until further notice
Campbell River  CR Transition Society  until further notice
Campbell River   Second to None (CR Hospice)  UFN
Castlegar   CastlegarTraesre Shop 16-31 March
Chemainus   Chemainus Health Care Auxiliary  Until further notice
Chilliwack  Chilliwack Hospice  UFN
Chilliwack  Hidden Treasures  UFN
Courtenay - Too Good To Be Threw - Until further notice
Cranbrook   Cranbrook Health Care Auxiliary  UFN
Delta   Delta Youth Support Link  - UFN
Delta   Delta Hospice Cottage    17-29 March
Duncan   ReStore  18 March UFN
Fort St John   Salvation Army  2 weeks from 18 March
Gibsons   Salvation Army   18 Mar - 1 Apr
Kamloops  Auxiliary to RIH   UFN
Kamloops  ReStore  21 March - 7 April
Kamloops  Second Chances   UFN
Kamloops   Vincents  (St Vincent de Paul)  UFN
Kelowna  Kelowna Gospel Mission  17 March to 1 April
Kelowna / West Kelowna  Salvation Army 18 March for 2 weeks
Kelowna WestBank Penticton  Vernon  ReStore UFN
Langley Penny Pincher  3 wees from 16 March
Langley  Second Story Treasures 17-28 March
Maple Ridge   Cythera Kids Boutique  Until further notice
Mission  The Cottage   until further notice
Nanaimo  Friends of Haven  UFN
New Westminster   St. Barnabas Anglican Church  6 May or until further notice
Oak Bay   Oak Bay United Church  UFN
Penticton  Care Closer  UFN
Port Alberni   Salvation Army   until further notice
Port Moody   Crossroads   UFN
Revelstoke  Revelstoek Heath Care Auxiliary  - until further notice 
Richmond   RAPS   UFN
Rossland  Rossland Healthcare Auxiliary  UFN
Saanich   St Aidan's United Church  Until further notice
Salmon Arm    Churchs   UFN
Sechelt  Sunshine Coast Healthcare Auxiliary  - UFN
Sidney  Cat's Cradle Animal Rescue
Sooke  Sooke Family Resource Center  until further notice
Summerland  Summerland Health Care Auxiliary  Until further notice
Vancouver  The Attic  UFN
Vancouver  Aunt Leah's  UFN
Vancouver  Clothes & Collectibles   until further notice
Vancouver  Community Thrift   through 24 March
Vernon  Georgette   2 weeks from 17 March
Victoria   St. Andrew's Presbyterian  UFN
White Rock  Peace Arch Hospital Auxiliary  - until further notice

All MCC thrift shops in BC  - until further notice
All Salvation Army thrift shops in BC - UFN
All WIN thrift shops in Victoria/Langford  -  until further notice

Pandemic-induced closures

The SARS COVID 19 pandemic is causing thrift shops to close for safety of the volunteers, patrons and other staff.  It appeared to start with health care auxiliaries which are usually staffed by volunteers who are also retired health care workers and has since expanded to other non-profit thrift shops.  Realising the vulnerability of the older population, as well as the necessity to avoid unnecessary contact, many of these thrift shops are closed until further notice.

Please check before you go. Post above list thrift shops and their closed-until dates.

Vancouver: Wildlife Thrift 2nd shop

The Wildlife thrift shop has opened a second location in the Marpole neighbourhood. 

1510 W. 70th Avenue @ Granville.  Open Daily 10-20h.

Victoria St Matthias Anglican Church Attic Treasures sale 22 February

Attic Treasures sale Saturday February 22 from 9 - 11 a.m. 

At St. Matthias Anglican Church, 600 Richmond Avenue with entrance and parking off Richardson Street.  

This month's sale features an Elvis lamp, crystal chandelier, vintage china base; Windsor back wood chairs, sports equipment, toys, fabric, CDs, books, jeans, linens, jewelry, antiques, pottery, china, silver, greeting cards and more.  Recycling on the parking lot of bottles, cans, clean plastics, electronic (small charge) supports life-skills training for youth through Threshold Housing.

Chlliwack: Move Hospice Thrifty Boutique

The Chilliwack Hospice Thrifty Boutique will be moving to a new location across the hghway:  Unit 10 at 7955 Evans Road.  The current location an Luckakuck Way is having a moving sale and will close 24 February and the new location will open 9 March

http://chilliwackhospice.org/thrifty-boutique-2/

Kamloops: Mustard Seed

The social enterprise that operated Thrift City in Kamloops will re-open it as the Mustard Seed in the next few weeks (late February to early March) at the same location of 346 Seymour Street

https://www.kamloopsmatters.com/local-news/photos-mustard-seed-seeks-donations-for-new-kamloops-thrift-store-2029167

Kamloops: Name Change and New Store?

Thrift City in Kamloops closed in the middle of last year.  It is hoping a new store will open in a couple of months and it will be renamed Mustard Seed which is the social enterprise and outreach service that operated the old store.