Shopping in Edmonton: Then and Now, by Phyllis Ellis

How shopping in Edmonton has changed! Let me describe how it was in my younger days.


When we were very young and lucky enough to have a penny to spend, my friend and I would go two blocks to Sherrin’s Confectionery. There, Mr. Sherrin (a tall slim man wearing a “Mister Rogers” cardigan) had “the patience of Job” while we selected our penny candy as we peeped through the squares of the lattice barrier. We would deliberate over how many we could buy for a penny versus our desire for a really special treat. Would it be spearmint leaves or the pink and white marshmallow yo-yo with the licorice baby inside? Or should we buy four jawbreakers so we’d have two each and spend the other penny on something else? If we changed our minds - as we often did - this kindly gentleman would make the change from the tiny brown paper bag and he always treated us like we were important customers.


Sherrin’s had a freezer in which they kept ice cream, revels, popsicles and creamsicles but since most people had only ice boxes we were practical. On a special occasion we would eat our main course then while the table was being cleared I would run “lickety-split” to Sherrin’s for five scoops (or however many were needed) of ice cream. These were placed in a pristine white cardboard container (similar to those used for Chinese take-out today) and then I would run lickety-split back before it melted. Never did ice-cream taste so delicious! Later, Mr. Sherrin installed a soda.