E F Salkeld hired Gardiner & Mercer to design this $13,000 Mission style repair garage on West Broadway in 1926. Ernest Salkeld was born in 1881 in Ontario, and by 1926 was shown as retired, but his younger brother, Frederick V Salkeld was running the Service Garage at 555 W Broadway, and they shared a home on Ontario Street with their sister, Mattie StJohn Salkeld, who was born in 1883. Mattie and Frederick were in Vancouver in the 1921 census, but Ernest was in Saskatchewan, living with another sister and her husband. At the age of 39 he was already living on ‘income’ rather than having a job. In 1901 he had been a farm labourer in Spy Hill, and a decade later a farmer in Saltcoats, also in Saskatchewan, where his mother and sister were living with him.
In 1927 Frederick married Greta Harkness, and Mr and Mrs Fred Salkeld moved to West 13th and became part of the city’s social circuit, holding a bridal shower at their home for friends, and attending a St Patrick’s Day social evening. Fred worked at the Service Garage which now occupied these premises, later in partnership with Charles Plaxton. He was generally shown as a mechanic, if his role was specified, but he was mostly mentioned for his involvement in tennis, as a keen member of the Oak Street and then Jericho clubs, where he played and provided trophies for youth competitions. He died in 1961, survived by his widow and older brother. Fred’s obituary concentrated on his role as a youth tennis coach, and professional player at the Jericho club.
Ernest barely registered in the life of the city, except for an incident in 1955 when his 16-year-old nephew, Stewart McAllister, suffered a broken neck and was partially paralyzed while diving at Shuswap Lake. Ernest, who was part of the family outing, saved him by dragging him out of the lake. He died in 1963, aged 83, having never married.
The garage continued in use for many years, finally as Kendall Garage (seen here in 1974), but a year after this picture was taken had switched to retail, as Carpetland. Advertised as ‘next to London Drugs’ (whose store can be seen in the corner of the image), at some point the garage became part of London Drugs, (at a slightly higher level, and with a new facade to match and reach the back of the sidewalk). When the drugstore moved eastwards to the new Crossroads development, Michael’s Crafts took over, and now run craft classes in the former garage part of the building.
Image source: City of vancouver Archives CVA 1095-00260
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Changing Vancouver 