In 1912, the Yada brothers opened a grocery at 701 East Fourth St. and Queensbury. The business was later relocated to 701 Keith Rd.
Co-owned by Sutejiro and his brothers, the Yada Bros. Grocery catered to the wider community with attractive deals and frequent deliveries.
Sutejiro (centre, in a vest and black hat) came from Japan in 1899 at the age of 15. He started work as a houseboy while attending night school. He later worked on a Seattle-based tugboat and at a Marpole sawmill before settling in North Vancouver.
The Yada’s business was forced to close in 1941. The Custodian of Enemy Property confiscated the Yada’s property and the entire family was sent to an internment camp.
For more information about the history of the North Shore and to learn about the new Museum of North Vancouver opening in 2021, visit nvma.ca and sign up for the museum’s e-newsletter at bit.ly/35MWr83.
Currently, the Archives of North Vancouver at 3203 Institute Rd. in Lynn Valley is open by appointment only. Contact: archives@dnv.org
