Arnold Rands Heritage Award
In 2021, 49th Parallel Grocery received the Arnold Rands Heritage Award, recognizing a top-scoring Canadian family business operating for at least two generations and 35 years in the same community.
Our Commitment to Community
Real estate should strengthen the communities it serves.
As long-term owners and developers, we believe real estate should strengthen the communities it serves. We work with local stakeholders and partners to ensure our projects contribute positively today while remaining resilient and relevant for future generations.
Ladysmith Roots
From Mackie’s café to 49th Parallel Grocery.
The story begins well before the name 49th Parallel. Verna and Arvo Mackie built a home on the corner of First Avenue and Symonds Street in the 1930s. By the 1940s, the front of the home had evolved into a small café where Verna served what many locals remembered as the best coffee and soup in Ladysmith.
As logging and other industries expanded, Mackie’s Fish and Chips became a popular gathering place and an early example of the site’s role as a community hub.
On December 5, 1951, the Mackies sold the property to Frans and Lempi Paivarinta. Days later, on December 14, the business reopened as 49th Parallel Grocery, named for Ladysmith’s unique geographic location.
The Paivarinta family lived and worked on-site, adapting the original building to meet changing needs and steadily growing the business. In 1960, they constructed a new 3,000 sq. ft. grocery store next door, reinforcing their long-term commitment to the site.
Even as ownership evolved over time, the property remained continuously occupied by a business serving the community under the 49th Parallel name. The store was known locally as “the 49th” and continued to grow as Ladysmith grew.
Local History
A long-standing connection to local business and community life.
The images below reflect the evolution of the 49th Parallel presence in Ladysmith, from early storefronts and construction milestones to community moments and the current commercial presence.
Richmond Family Stewardship
A long period of ownership, reinvestment, and growth.
In 1977, Wayne and Harmina Richmond entered the picture through a lease of the store and business. In 1981, the Richmond family purchased the property outright.
Over the following decades, they invested steadily in the site’s future, eventually acquiring surrounding lots and, in 1990, constructing a new grocery and liquor store facing Symonds Street. Further upgrading and expansion followed in 2010, resulting in today’s modern facility.
Over these years, the family also invested in other communities. The business grew to five stores, including locations in Ladysmith, Chemainus, Cedar, and two stores in Duncan, British Columbia. Several store properties were purchased, developed, and later resold as the business continued to grow.
Local Employment and Community Service
A business legacy shaped by people, service, and community involvement.
At their peak, the Richmond family operated five full-service grocery stores and employed more than 400 local people. Over time, more than 2,200 team members passed through the company’s doors, many working their first job and learning skills that stayed with them well beyond the workplace.
Alongside 49th Parallel Grocery, the Richmond family also owned and operated 49th Parallel Printers, a locally focused printing business, from 2006 until its sale in 2025. Together, these enterprises reflected a consistent commitment to honest service, local employment, and long-term relationships within the community.
The family was also active in the community and the food industry through a range of organizations, including the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers. Over the years, 49th Parallel received several top awards, including the Arnold Rands Heritage Award in 2021.
Recognition
Awards, milestones, and proud community moments.
Business Recognition
Recognition included Chemainus Chamber Business of the Year in 2018, Vancouver Island Family Business Awards finalist recognition in 2020, Duncan Chamber Black Tie Awards Business Achievement recognition in 2021, and Business Examiner Vancouver Island retail business of the year in 2022.
Community Milestones
The company helped bring a Guinness World Record to Ladysmith for the world’s largest street hockey tournament in 2007, among many other proud community moments.
The Next Chapter
Continuity from grocery history to long-term real estate stewardship.
The 2023 sale of the grocery business marked a transition from daily retail operations to a renewed focus on long-term property ownership, planning, and stewardship.
Now marking more than 70 years as a Ladysmith institution, the 49th Parallel story reflects a rare continuity of purpose across generations and families. Its sale to another Vancouver Island-owned family business helped ensure that the tradition of local ownership and community focus could continue.
This history of patient ownership, reinvestment, and respect for place directly informs how Har-Way Holdings approaches real estate today.
Looking ahead, the planned redevelopment of the corner of First Avenue and Symonds Street represents the next chapter in this long relationship with Ladysmith. It is an opportunity to create a thoughtfully designed mixed-use development that serves current needs while becoming something the community can be proud of for generations to come.