Shopping in Surrey

The craftsmen at Blueberry Meadows know a solid piece a furniture can be the difference between a house and a home. With that in mind, they've made it their mission to pair people with well-built, designer imports through a hassle-free process that cuts out the middleman and his dreaded scheming. From beds and chests to chairs and coffee tables, furnishings come in several timbers, stains, and paints, so guests can match new additions to the rest of their home decor.

The winter-sports division of Mad Dog's Source For Sports began with a meagre stash of five skis, five bindings, and eight boots. Over the past 30 years, the superstore has expanded into all seasons and terrains, equipping athletes with name-brand gear and personalized services. Staff prep hockey players for the ice with custom skate fittings catered to each player's foot type, and keep preowned blades crisp with their Blademaster sharpening system. Baseball and softball players charge out into the dirt with new cleats, gloves, or slow-pitch aluminum bats, and lacrosse players glide over the grass with a newly strung STX Proton head. The multiskilled staff strings tennis racquets for hard-court play, and tests each hockey stick they vend to make sure their flavour pairs well with this season's stick tape.

The term “boutique fashion store” normally conjures up image of a trendy but very small storefront, lined with shelves that can only hold a select few articles. Lolly’s Fashion Lounge aims to keep the intimacy and uniqueness of these small boutiques, but within a space big enough to house plenty of display racks, elegantly tall ceilings, and sleek chandelier lights. Throughout the airy, open space, clothes from Michael Kors, BB Dakota, French Connection, and Miss Me Denim hang from artistically arranged racks, and trendy clutches, scarves, and jewellery from Merx, Garbo, and Rosie nestle atop glass shelves installed along the walls. The store’s staff, meanwhile, stands by to help clients beef up their wardrobes, perform style transformations, and share true feelings about wool onesies during the summer.

Tamara Poppitt may be the one behind the camera at Poppy Photography, but she credits her love of the art form to her husband Jon, daughter Lauren, twin sons Harrison and Hudson, and Georgia, the old english sheepdog. The Poppitt family is a recurring topic on her largely visual blog, where the portraitist's bottomless enthusiasm and practiced eye for colour and composition are immediately apparent. Tamara excels at crafting photographic narratives—a format perfect for weddings, family portraits, and creating a skimmable version of Finnegans Wake.

Some years ago, Paul and Caroline heard rumblings about water hyacinths. Their inner horticulturalists were intrigued because these plants bloom early and combat algae, but water hyacinths were only imported from Singapore at the time and often carried invasive parasites. So, the couple resolved to grow the plants themselves and start Woodbridge Ponds, a local greenhouse specializing in safe, locally cultivated specimens.

Today, their two-pronged business consists of Echo Nurseries, a 27,000-square-foot wholesale nursery, and Woodbridge Ponds, a sprawling retail shop brimming with beautiful water lilies and pond plants, lively fish, and essential pond hardware and supplies. All of the shop’s retail plants are grown at the adjacent nursery, ensuring that no seedlings get homesick while waiting for a new owner. Their friendly team of loyal local women helps visitors navigate hundreds of available plants, which gussy up large ponds and simple birdbaths alike.

At The Book Man’s two locations, half a million used books beckon to readers, impeccably organized into 72 categories on deep shelves and in spacious drawers. Family owned and operated by a daughter and father team, Amber and book man David illuminate wordy wares with full-spectrum lighting, which helps browsers find a specific book or take a peek at the first sentences of an unfamiliar tome. Although they stock plenty of well-known classics and bestsellers, one of David's favourite aspects of owning a bookstore is stocking unusual treasures. “That’s the whole fun of the bookstore,” he says, “finding those things that people didn’t know they were looking for until they see it.” Amber boasts 20-plus years of experience, oversees inventory databasing, and drives the internet and mail order aspect of their business, allowing customers to contact The Book Man and order books to be placed on hold.

Praised as a local gem by Fraser Valley Pulse, the shop has won awards for Best Bookstore in Chilliwack with its comfortable environment. The store’s unique, reader-friendly spirit has two mascots in store cats Nietzsche and Gatsby, who stalk the shelves of both stores and greet favoured guests with mewling demands to be petted. Customers are free to bring their dogs with them, or plop kiddies down in a play area lined with thousands of picture books and early readers.