Oak Bay Bikes in Langford? Confusing business names.

[Holden West]

In Langford today, I noticed a new Oak Bay Bikes location on Kelly Road.

It got me thinking about local businesses that have names that have nothing to do with their location. Usually because the business has relocated or made a second branch and decided to keep the old name.

There's Hillside Printing (on Nanaimo Street).
Broadmead Flowers (on Shelbourne, just north of Bay)
Oak Bay Flowers on Douglas at Pandora

On a related note, visit the Upstairs Hair Salon's new downstairs location.

Any others?

[Dylan Leblanc]

Old Town Strings is on Hillside, and Cedar Hill Auto is right beside Hillside Printing on Nanaimo.

[Coreyburger]

London Drugs

[Bingo]

China Cleaners on lower Johnson Street.

[VicHockeyFan]

American Apparel, although technically it's right. But nobody ever accused us of living in America.

[Holden West]

London Drugs is disqualified because this Vancouver-originated chain was named after the British capital.

Old Town Strings is a good one. I forgot about that.

[jklymak]

Originally Posted by VicHockeyFan

American Apparel, although technically it's right. But nobody ever accused us of living in America.

? American Apparel is an American chain out of LA.

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by Holden West

In Langford today, I noticed a new Oak Bay Bikes location on Kelly Road.

There's also one in Nanaimo

[VicHockeyFan]

Originally Posted by jklymak

? American Apparel is an American chain out of LA.

I know, I'm giving wrong answers on purpose. I'm also pretty sure it's mostly Chinese Apparel in origin.

[VicHockeyFan]

Irish Linen
Japanese Village

[yodsaker]

Originally Posted by VicHockeyFan

American Apparel, although technically it's right. But nobody ever accused us of living in America.

There are a lot of people who insist we live "here in the North-west".
I get baffled looks when I note that we are in SW Canada according to the map. Maybe some of these people have already abandoned Canada in their mind.

There's Oak Bay Optical on north Quadra Street.

[VicHockeyFan]

Which kind of gets me thinking. If you have an American-style restaurant in the rest of the world, they'll think of standard NA dishes, or maybe a US diner style. Do they have any Canadian-style restaurants in the rest of the world? I mean, we don't have any New Zealand-style restaurants around here.

Am I off topic?

[Holden West]

Originally Posted by yodsaker

There's Oak Bay Optical on north Quadra Street.

It looks like Oak Bay is the runaway winner in the prestige naming contest. Kinda like all the companies with "Cadillac" in their name.

[jklymak]

Originally Posted by VicHockeyFan

I know, I'm giving wrong answers on purpose. I'm also pretty sure it's mostly Chinese Apparel in origin.

Nah, their whole shtick is that they use sweatshop labour right in the US of A...

http://www.americanapparel.net/contact/profile.html

[yodsaker]

Originally Posted by VicHockeyFan

Which kind of gets me thinking. If you have an American-style restaurant in the rest of the world, they'll think of standard NA dishes, or maybe a US diner style. Do they have any Canadian-style restaurants in the rest of the world? I mean, we don't have any New Zealand-style restaurants around here.

Am I off topic?

What would a kiwi resto be like? I've never been there.
What style would distinguish it as a CDN resto?
Fur trapper paraphernalia decor? Mountie pics and other cliches?
Brian Adams on the CD changer? Ouch.
The menu would be limited and not too sexy.
Butter tarts? Yawn.
Fish n'brewis? Even some newfies have a hard time getting that down.
Poutine? Quebec, really.

I've been in CDN bars/pubs in Asia but they had to have a big maple leaf flag and large hockey posters for anyone to know.

[VicHockeyFan]

Originally Posted by jklymak

Nah, their whole shtick is that they use sweatshop labour right in the US of A...

http://www.americanapparel.net/contact/profile.html

Huh, I did not know that.

[Mike K.]

Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour.

[aastra]

Victoria Lampshade Shop:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=victori...181.78,,0,1.63

The southwestern part of Canada is in the northwestern part of North America. In my life I've never called it the southwest and I doubt it would ever catch on if we started doing it now.

[tedward]

Originally Posted by Mike K.

Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour.

I guess Victoria Marriott Humboldt Valley doesn't have the same cachet.

[VicHockeyFan]

Originally Posted by Mike K.

Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour.

I think that's fine. Ross Bay Pub. James Bay whatever. It need not be at water's edge.

[aastra]

Kerrisdale Cameras is another one.

Fairfield Dry Cleaners used to be downtown. No more, right?

It got me thinking about local businesses that have names that have nothing to do with their location. Usually because the business has relocated or made a second branch and decided to keep the old name.

It got me to thinking about how the original Oak Bay Bikes and the old Oak Bay Toy Shop weren't in Oak Bay at all.

[yodsaker]

Think I was mistaken about OB Optical up on Quadra, I think its OB Tailor Shop. Hard to see when you're looking out for traffic. Maybe it was in OB once upon a time.
There's also Oak Bay Denturist on Lee Ave. and Oak Bay Pet Clinic nearby on OB Ave. And OB Bikes is a good 25m from OB!

How about Canada Dry? Was it ever made or was it invented in Canada?

aastra, I also would never refer to our neck of the woods as SW Canada though it actually is. I just find it interesting how quickly Canadians can lose sight of their own country and its true boundaries using an American term to describe where we live. When an American refers to the Pacific Northwest he really means Oregon and Wash. and the rest of N.A. doesn't matter.

[Holden West]

Originally Posted by aastra

It got me to thinking about how the original Oak Bay Bikes [wasn't] in Oak Bay at all.

Even the modern version is a few feet inside the Victoria side of the Foul Bay Rd. border.

[Mike K.]

Originally Posted by VicHockeyFan

I think that's fine. Ross Bay Pub. James Bay whatever. It need not be at water's edge.

Considering the top floors only afford glimpses of the Inner Harbour, the name is quite the misnomer.

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by aastra

No, no no... that's all wrong