Here follows a newspaper article describing the grand opening of the brand new pharmacy...55 years ago, in
The Ottawa Citizen, 16 September 1960.
Civic Pharmacy Bright Addition To Carling-Holland Avenue Area
Surely no drug store in Ottawa enjoys a better site, a finer location, than the shop now occupied by the Civic Pharmacy, at the northwest corner of Carling and Holland Avenue. The fine new apothecary shop is the proud property of Wally Cherun, B.Sc., Phm., Ottawa.
Erected in an attractive spot on this corner, the site is more than doubly blessed because zoning does not permit other buildings to be built next to it on the north, along Holland Avenue. Nor does the same restrictive ordinances allow any structure alongside of it on Carling Avenue.
If you stand in the sun-suffused glass enclosed front of the store you face the Experimental Farm, you are almost opposite the approach to Island Park Drive, and in the farther distance, are the fields and knolls of the tree-girded farm.
The Civic Pharmacy, a handsome building of bright clean stone and glass is a great credit to Carling Avenue and a fine contribution to west end architecture.
The Civic Pharmacy embodies all the latest in drug stores. On entering, one is immediately impressed with the half-enclosed pharmacy, at the back. Raised like a big dais, it commands a view of the store. It is deemed the most up to date of its kind in Ottawa for dispensing drugs. It is illuminated by a strong if diffused light rather than hot and concentrated lighting.
Not the least important in the elevated pharmacy is the refrigerator, where certain drugs and chemicals of necessity must be kept cool under a certain amount of refrigeration.
On the east side, along Holland Avenue, is what they call a wide open carner with glass right around the street corner. Customers may serve themselves from the brightly lit windows.
Worth noting is the camera section, close to the windows, where people can readily get camera supplies.
Something new for most businesses in this part of town is recessed front. On the Holland Avenue side which is paved, the pharmacy manager, Wally Cherun, plans to put benches alongside the street. This should particularly please the passengers waiting for busses.
If you happen to gaze skywards from the corner, you may be intrigued by the rotating sign. Actually, here are five signs, which rotate to show C-I-V-I-C. The trick is that they spell and read the same from both directions: even seen at an angle the message is the same from any direction.
The display windows are bright by day, and bright by night. The area is quite a concentration of hydro power in the windows and, of course, in the store, too.
Music is being installed which will permeate the drug store with latest tunes and appealing classics of yesteryear.
Also to be noted is the fact that the whole drug store is completely air conditioned.
Also attached to the drug store is a separate restaurant partition. At the official opening on Saturday, free ice cream is to be sent to all the children in the hospital. At the same time, free coffee is to be dispensed in the store to all customers on inaugurad day.
A special cosmetics bar is a feature of the store, attended by a lady expert on perfumes from Montreal.
In charge of this fancy new restaurant are three brothers, the Messrs. Manuel, George, and Angelo Lafkas.
Under the elaborate imported chandeliers and alongside the exotic cylindrical lamps is a most impressive restaurant. It will seat 55.
Not to be overlooked either are the copper tile effect, the hassock-like stools at the counter and the appealing atmosphere where beige and brown are the color effects.
As a final touch, the acoustic tile roof deadens noise and conversation, conducing to an intimate and cosy atmosphere.
This bright glass-enclosed pharmacy has been called by Manager Wally Cherun, "The Cross Roads of the West", which indeed it almost seems to be. With stepped-up traffic from what seem a half dozen different directions, and with several bus lines passing through this corner, it already seems suitably named as the cross roads of Ottawa's west side.
It has been stressed how bright and cheerful this glass walled drug store seems to be. Its bright lights by night as well as it sun light by day also suggest not only the maximum of illumination, but also an atmosphere of cleanliness, and impression of strict hygiene.
Outside the building, after the observer has noticed the bright stone and the huge area of glass one is bound to be impressed by the polished mosaic, the imported Italian gold and brown mosaic squares. It seems to be an appealing finishing touch to a splendid new west end structure. It lends grace and beauty to the area.