there goes the neighbourhood

With the exception of a few months in other cities here and there, I’ve lived in the same neighbourhood my entire life. And my entire life, it’s been anchored by what I call the corner store– a series of small shops which themselves are anchored by a small convenience store that sells snacks and basic, slightly more expensive groceries. When I was a kid we would sometimes walk there to get hard ice cream, but they stopped selling that at some point. In high school it was a source of late-night snacks and one Christmas it was the only place in town I was able to find enough brussel sprouts for a dozen people (“you must really like brussel sprouts,” the cashier told me as I filled my bag).

Two years ago, what had previously been a locally-owned and operated store was bought up by 7-11 with promises of it being better than ever. It wasn’t. The overpriced produce was gone, replaced by more packaged snacks. And then, earlier this week, this sign went up in the window.

Decades of survival under local ownership and one of the most pervasive corporations in the world couldn’t find a way to keep this place going for more than two years.

This has been happening steadily my whole life. A few years ago, the pub just behind the convenience store was bought up along with a bunch of other ones around town and, a few years later, shut down along with almost all the rest. It’s never been replaced. There was a bakery and a deli in the complex that are now a pharmacy and some sort of medical office. In fact, that’s been the steady creep at this corner store complex: video stores, craft supplies, a coffee shop move out and various medical businesses move in.

Maybe it makes sense. There’s less kids here than there used to be– my own elementary school is gone. And one of the most significant additions to the neighbourhood is a senior’s home. But there’s also been a steady new creep of family homes and the high school has more students than ever.

The convenience store wasn’t an amazing place. There was no hidden gems, special foods or great deals. But it was in walking distance, and sometimes that’s all you need to help make a neighbourhood feel more like a neighbourhood. I’m sad to see it go.