18 Apr After 50 Years in Business, We’ve Really Watched Ottawa Grow!
What better place to raise a family or a business than the National Capital Region? Ottawa is friendly, colourful and busting at the seams with beauty.
Our love for this city makes us so proud to be a brand with such longevity in this area. That said, with the competitive nature of corporate business today, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for smaller Mom and Pop shops to stay afloat.
Fortunately, thanks to you, we’ve been in business now for a whopping FIFTY-FIVE YEARS!
When Mr. Brown (yes, there was a Mr. Brown) immigrated to Canada with his wife back in the 50s, Ottawa was a very different place. Life certainly wasn’t nearly as convenient or fast-paced. There were no cell phones, no social media, and obviously no blogs like the one you’re reading now!
Moreover, the streets weren’t nearly as developed in the same sense that they are now. In 1961, one of the first years that we were in business, the city roads and boundaries were divided quite differently from the way that they are today.
Check out this Official Plan of Roads, as prepared by the Planning Branch for the City of Ottawa in January 1960 and revised again in May of 1961. The image comes directly from the City of Ottawa Archives. It’s evidence that we’ve evolved as a city:
Today in 2014, we have 40 Browns locations across the city, but we certainly didn’t start out that way. Back in the early 1960s one of the few initial locations we had (which still exists today) was located at the intersection of Elgin and Gilmour streets in Centretown.
Over five decades ago, that section of Ottawa looked very different! PastOttawa.com has actually created a fascinating visual comparison graphic of Elgin Street (close to where our store pictured above is located) which you can check out here. On the site, they’ve described this image as follows:
This picture shows the south side of Sparks Street between Elgin and Metcalfe a few years after it was turned into a pedestrian street. What is the most striking on that photo is the disappearance of several buildings where the RBC building is nowadays.
On this photo only, seven boutiques with street access have been replaced by a single building that offers a single access to the street which consolidates the morosely of Sparks Street.
Like our city, so much has changed in terms of our lifestyles in the past 50 years. Not least of which, the level of convenience in our day-to-day lives.
One of the ways in which we ensure that we’re keeping pace with your busy life and adding convenience, is through our completely free Pick-up & Delivery Service! That’s right — we will come right to your door to pick-up your clothing and textile items, clean and press them using our top industry expertise and deliver them to your home. It’s like the service level of 1958 and the convenience of today!
Got questions or concerns? Don’t hesitate to consult our FAQs page on our website for more information, or give us a call anytime at 613-235-5181.
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