Thrift Shops along the Crow (Highway 3) Hope to Castlegar

 BC's Highway 3 hosts some obscure thrift shops.  We passed by portions of the route (east to Castlegar) in 2020, 2022 and 2023 but unfortunately have not been able to visit many.

Hope still does not have a thrift shop since Hope Community Services' Hidden Treasure closed.  The next shop is in Princeton which hosts the Princeton Hospital Auxiliary shop.  Opening days are limited and I have not managed to coincide a visit with an opening day.

Moving along to Keremeos, there is the Treasure Chest shop of the Cawston United Church.  Unfortunately another shop that I have not been able to visit when open. 

Osoyoos host the thrift shop of the Osoyoos United Church.  There was another thrift shop operated by another church but the building was destroyed by an arson attack several years ago. 

Though it's a little ways up Highway 33, I'll make a mention of the Westbridge thrift shop in Westbridge.

Midway has The Bridge located in an old church.  Another one I have not been able to visit when open.

Greenwood has the Greenwood Seniors Thrift.

Grand Forks has 3 shops all of which I was able to visit.  Habitat for Humanity ReStore and Grand Forks Hospital Auxiliary south of the highway and Whispers of Hope north of it.

Getting to Castlegar, we were only able to visit Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  Treasure Shop of the Castlegar Hospital Auxiliary and the joint shop of St. David's Anglican and Castlegar United Church are there but were closed during out visit.

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A Trip to The Sunshine Coast

We recently made a trip to the Sunshine Coast, and for the first time since this blog was created.  Some new thrift shops have come to light while some have closed.

Making landfall at Powell River, the first calls were to the PR Hospital Auxiliary's Economy and Salvation Army thrift shops on the SE corner of Alberni and Joyce.  The Salvation Army opened in the former location of the MCC thrift shop.  Of note was a new shop, Kindred Rebuild, which sells recycled house materials and furniture, sort of like a local version of Habitat for Humanity's Restore.  It is operated by Inclusion Powell River. The MCC has moved south along Joyce to a large new building on Field Street.  The number of thrift shops in Powell River has doubled since our last visit in 2013.

Tip: Best days to visit the shops in Powell River are Tuesday to Friday when all of them are scheduled to be open.  Only the Salvation Army is open on Monday, and the Economy shop is closed Saturdays, and all are closed on Sunday.

Moving along to the lower Sunshine Coast, I picked up a paper and noted a friendship group having a road trip to Egmont with the aim of visiting the thrift shop.  For those who have been there, Egmont seems too small to have a thrift shop but doing some research, there is the Egmont Community Club's thrift shop, in the basement of the club building on Bathgate Road.  I have not been able to find days and hours when the shop is open.

Moving along, Madeira Park hosts Bargain Barn, the thrift shop of the Pender Harbour Health Centre Auxiliary. Open only 2-3 days a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays year round) so plan your visit.

Sechelt hosts 3 trhift shops but due to vehicle size issue, we were only able to visit the 2 in the centre of town, the Salvation Army and the Sunshine Coast Healthcare Auxiliary shops.  Habitat for Humanity's ReStore had too small a lot for us to park our vehicle.

Continuing to Gibsons, there is the Sunshine Coast Community Services shop, the Salvation Army and the Prancing Pony.  Gibsons United Church closed its shop before the church itself was permanently closed.

Find the shops here:

https://bcthriftshop.blogspot.com/p/sunshine-coast.html

Pender Harbour - Bargain Barn

The Pender Harbour Health Centre Auxiliary operates the Bargain Barn thrift shop.  

12895 Madeira Park Road

Note: Only open 2 days a week currently

https://bargainbarnpender.weebly.com/

Saanich new store: WIN

 WIN has opened a thrift shop in the Saanich Centre mall at Quadra and MacKenzie.

https://www.womeninneed.ca/locations-quadra

Colwood new store: WIN

 After closing its West Shore thrift shop in Langford 3 years ago, WIN (Women In Need) of Victoria has a sign out at a new premises being prepared for opening in Colwood.

The new shop will be located in the mall close to the Thrifty Foods and CIBC at Colwood Corners.

Powell River: New thrift shop and a move

 I haven't been to Powell River for a decade.  One of the changes is that one thrift shop has moved and another has opened in its place.

The move is the MCC which has moved out of its location off Alberni (next to the health care thrift shop) a little south to 7050 Field St.

https://thrift.mcc.org/powell-river-mcc-thrift-shop

In its place, the Salvation Army has opened a thrift shop

http://salvationarmypr.ca/thriftstore/

Vernon: Animal Auxiliary Thrift Store

 The Horse Protection Society of BC has opened a thrift shop, the Vernon Animal Auxiliary Thrift Store, in Vernon to assist animals in need.

Location is at 3100A 29th Avenue.