Old Sea Cans

We call them “Shipping Containers”, but in other countries they are called “Sea Cans” or “Container vans”, but whatever you call them they are large metal boxes used to ship things all over the world. They are built to survive weeks at sea through any kind of weather and can be stacked many layers deep on huge container ships or attached to tractor trailers to be towed across country. They have become one of the most popular ways to transport goods all over the world and can be used over and over for many different kinds of cargo, but eventually they do wear out or get damaged. And what do you do with them then?

I have a friend who uses one to store lots of stuff he does not need at home, but wants to have if needed. Another friend shipped all their worldly possessions from Africa back to Nova Scotia in one. I have seen them converted into Mini-houses, and in New Zealand they were used to provide colourful seating shelters in a waterfront park. Here in Toronto, I discovered that they have been used to create a unique shopping Market called “Stacktmarket”. I read about this in a Toronto Newsletter I subscribe to and decided to go have a look. 

A subway ride and a walk along Front St. took me to Bathurst St. where I found 120 reclaimed shipping containers “stacked” (thus the name) together to create an inviting market complex. The market occupies about 2.4 acres or two city blocks and featured an inviting mix of public seating, pop-up businesses, a brewery, boutique stores, eating establishments, and even a pickelball court. The bottom containers have been converted to areas for market stalls and stores with the ones stacked on top decorated with bright paint and art work. 

I visited on a Thursday afternoon and it was not busy, with many stores not open, but you could see where it would be a busy spot on the weekend, especially in the summer months. The art work on the containers and the many inviting seating areas make it an attractive location to visit and spent time exploring the shops and eatery options. 

Apparently they have a two year lease on this site at which time it is slated to be

converted to a park and the market will be picked up and moved to another location. You can do that with shipping containers, but not concrete shopping centres . . . . .

Inviting areas to sit and relax

Lots of open friendly spaces

Wanna play pickleball?

Or perhaps play a tune?

Stacked

Bowls?

What do you do with an old gas station?

I am always up for a trip to another interesting pub or brewery, and I have managed to sample a few nice British Columbian brews while out her on the west coast. Today we went to the Gladstone Brewery in downtown Courtney for lunch. The brewery is on the site of an old service station and it has made an interesting place to eat and sample another beer. This lunch involved two of my brother-in-law’s sisters who were enjoying a day trip out from their senior’s home. One cannot see and the other has mobility issues, but both were keen for a trip to a brewpub for drinks and lunch and many laughs were shared by all. 

The Brewery is built from a converted old ESSO service station. The brewery and the bar are located in the old service bays and the patio is out where the pumps and parking used to be. I did not realize it was a gas station at first but once I was told I found it fascinating how well it worked and what a nice brewpub they made out of it. It is in an ideal location right on the main street of Courtney and on a busy corner, and it was very busy on this Father’s Day weekend. 

Now to be honest, the tool box flower pot, the wrench clothes hanger in the washroom, the wall paper made form old car adverts, and the shelf of old car parts should have given me a clue, but duh . . .  I was enjoying me beer.