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Hopkins Landing ...by Ernie PearsonMission City Business Man Helped! This Community* * * *.. Mrs. E. Laird, a visitor for many summers, now has her own home at Hopkin’s Landing, where her father, Mr. Merrill DesBrisay, visited her for several days.Many residents of this coast area will remember Mr. DesBrisay as a pioneer business man of the province, who at one time lived at Fraser Valley’s Mission City.STARTED WITH $110In 1889 the construction of the railway bridge across the Fraser River was started at Mission. With an eye to business and the large sum of $110 Mr. DesBrisay started in' with a little store in a shack at the bridgehead. He did very nicely for a while, featuring such sta-* * ,* *pies as overalls, shirts, socks, gloves and other things to the construction gang working on the bridge. When the water in the river started to rise the work on the bridge ceased. The construction crew left, planning on returning lated in the year, but they didn’t, and the work on the bridge was delayed for a time.MOVED TO MISSIONIn the meantime DesBrisay found it was necessary to move elsewhere where he could do more business. He set up shop near the wharf where the river steamers called to unload their freight and perhaps take on wood fuel.As time went on DesBrisay decided to move again. This time he moved to a place away•r * * *from the river and across from the CPR tracks. In those days his store was surrounded by tall timber, and only a trail led to the wharf at the river. The only place where people could walk in their Sunday best was on the long wooden platform at the CPE station. This third site was on a corner, and later bordered the Lougheed Highway which now runs through Mission City, one of the most up-to-date and rapidly growing towns in the Fraser Valley.STORE STILL OPERATESEach time Mr. DesBrisay moved, his business prospered, but there were some lean yearis too. Old timers still remember that they would have almost starved had it not been for the* * * *help DesBrisay gave them during some of the tough periods.Mr. DesBrisay decided on one more move, and this time it was across the street on the corner. He built a large two storey departmental store where he sold everything from chicken feed to white collars and bedroom suites. After building up a successful business tnere, he left it in the hands of a manager and moved to Nelson in 1897. He never returned to operate the business again himself, but many times he visited there and sometimes during a rush period could be seen behind the counter helping to wait on customers. He sold out his interests about five years ago, but the large store is still known all over the country as DesBrisay’s.* * * *DesBrsay has visited Hop--kin’s Landing for many years and spent a number of pleasant summers here. Through the years he has taken a keen interest in the affairs of the community.HELPED START CAMPMany years ago, when the YMCA wanted to build a summer camp for boys, the property they chose for the site was owned by a real estate firm in Vancouver. They wanted to sell all of it or nothing. DesBrisay joined others in the community and bought portions of it to help the YMCA.Mr. DesBrisay has been in poor health for the past three years, and has lost an eye due to illness.
Newspaper Details
Gibsons Coast News
Gibsons, British Columbia, CA
Wed, Aug 01, 1945
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Donald L.
CA 10 Aug 2023
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Gibsons Coast News
