Sey Lonsia

Robert Gaister

News Reporter robert@nsnews.com

‘MELANIE Morris has been horsing around for three years.

It was about then that the for- mer legal assistant purchased Lonsdale Avenue’s Indian River Tack Shop -- a bou- que specializing in all manner of horse

things.

horses and there’s no tack shop for miles and miles around,” said Morris who grew

up in Vancouver Island’s = Campbell River. ”

The change came as a result of some soul-searching which concluded with a firm decision to squeeze more out of life.

“Nor that I don’t love lawyers, bur I thought there might be more. out there,” said Morris.

While a portion of her clien- tele is obviously part of the horse riding set, the majority is not. Morris maintains everyone knows someone who is into horses and art Christmas or birthday time whar’s better than a horse-relared gift?

“Plus there’s the urban cow- boys who've never seen a horse bur go to JR Country (night- club),” said Morris. “1 hey could-

Kin Metley Senior tive ne EN atthe Co Avian tlt fetor

“Pee always loved (titi RCAC Ahi

NEWS: ‘photos Mike Wakefield

FLOWER power ... Lonsdale Florist owner Eveline Shirtlitf (left) and Erin Birch-Miller have worked side-by-side at the store for the last five years.

on down to

n't find a horse if they saw one.” Running on empty According to Petro Canada’s aésistant manager Dave Studer there was atime when Lonsdale Avenue was the service bay capital of the North Shore with 33 garages equipped to handle an automotive emergency. The number has seriously dwindled since and currently stands at one -— his Petro Canada station on the corner of Lonsdale and 15th. “It's the Jast one on

Lonsdale and they’re tearing it

ls down,” said Studer whose father had running it

LONSDALE AVES 109 nee the mid-’60s.

Pending — approval from the city, the station is scheduled to be torn down and replaced with onc featuring new pumps and a convenience store — but no repair bays. Royal real estate

Iv’s a long way trom Yellowknife to just about anywhere, but that didn’t stop Ash Naidoo from leaving her native Northwest Territories.

“f was attending Capilano College and | liked it here so I stayed,” said the 22-year-old Royal LePage receptionist. “Then 1 wanted to take a year off (school) and I ended up here.”

The atmosphere at the office is always one tull of energy, but recent. market conditions are

e’s tack sho}

starting to take their toll.

“We have lots of fist ings, but it’s kind of on the-slow side,” said Naidoo.

Flower power Eveline Shirtliff was bors into the flower business. Shirtliff’s | moth- er started working at a flower shop when she was 10 and was a hardened veteran by the time Eveline was born.

It wasn’t unl six years ago that Shirtliff purchased Lonsdale Florist, but to this day she enjoys the business as much as she did the day she started.

“I enjoy people and flowers,” said Shirtlitf. “1 love flowers.”

About a year after she took over the shop, Shirtlif¥ started to seek out some help for the shop.

‘That’s when Erin Birch-Mifler entered the scene.

“EL was in the process of buying my own (flower) shop and I was on my way to the UI office (on U5Sth Street) just in case and | passed this piace and thought, *hey there’s a flower shop here’,” said Birch- Miller,

The rest is history.

All the rest...

The other businesses on the block are (north to south) Hatz Hair Design Skin Care and Nails, Academy of Learning, MSC Financial Services Ltd. Central Lonsdale Massage Therapy, Dina Taher D.C., Dale [. Tanaka D.C., Can Speak, Bravo Cucina Ristorante [taliano, Capota’s 2 for 1] Pizza.

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Lonsdale and 15th Street Petro Canada station “seven days a week.”

HORSING around ... Indian River Tack Shop owner Melanie Morris sits behind a Pessoa jumping saddle inside her boutique-style shop.

ROYAL real estate ... Ash Naidoo has been working at the Lonsdale Avenue Royal LePage office for nearly a year.

Wednesday, April 29, 1998 - North Shore News — 19

RUNNING on empty ... Ken McBean is the familiar face behind the

Victoria Rogers Nemo favestment Baretta o Ava tate Davator