Back in the day ‘service stations’ were much more than the place you gassed up your car. They were a community hub and a gathering point for gearheads. Even the stylish art-deco architecture was a symbol of progress. From 1909 to 1969, over 9,500 B/A gas stations dotted the country and the British American Oil Company was one of the largest in Canada.
In the 1940s and 1950s, B/A issued its own credit cards, printed road maps and the monthly B/A Commentator Magazine. They even sponsored a TV game show; truly Canada’s gas station. However, in the 1960’s Gulf Oil had taken increasing ownership of the Canadian company, and after their 1969 merger, all B/A stations were rebranded as Gulf stations, and in 1985 the new owners changed the name to Petro-Canada.
There isn’t much left from 50+ years ago to remind Canadian motorists of B/A. However, there is one iconic station left at 1175 Davenport Rd in dontown Toronto. It is a Faema coffee machine repair shop now, but observers can clearly see the iconic building hiding in plain sight.
There’s an old Italian gentleman named Mike behind the counter now, pulling espresso shots for customers who wander in. He seemed a little tired of answering tourists questions about the building, and only commented that the place was a car dealership (B/A stations had somewhat confusing British American Dealer signs).But showing him pictures of his building in 1957, the starting point of a road rally to London, certainly brought a smile to his face…even if he isn’t a car guy.
“Never too modern to give old-fashioned service.” An excellent motto which would be wisely applied by companies today, but I doubt many would find “old-fashioned” to be a desirable trait. It’s only when I became old-fashioned myself that I got it. Lovely post today.
I am baffled that some smart people dont open full-serve stations in the city. Charge extra and provide something special (we can call it old-fashioned service).
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I lived 1km from the old building in this article never understood what it was before. Last week I stumbled across pictures of it in the Toronto archives. Finally ut 2&2 together.
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Not sure if you can see the ‘cover image’ in WP reader, but here is my photoshop project.
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https://demaras.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-1957-1024×576.jpg
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These old B/A gas stations have mostly disappeared….mostly.
I’m surprised too tbh. People decry the loss of customer service all the time. What a perfect opportunity to provide some!