Fort St. John café up for sale after years in the city’s heart

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Whole Wheat and Honey Café is up for sale after serving the community for 13 years, although the location itself has been used for business for much longer.

In early August, the café’s owner, Devrey Crossley, announced the sale of the community staple located in a prime location on 100th and 100th, but the site was originally Fort St. John’s first general store in 1927, run by Clarke Mackenzie Finch.

Finch was born in Ontario, grew up in Alberta and came to Fort St. John in 1913, according to the Fort St. John North Peace Museum archives.

He became a clerk for a trading post near the Peace River, where he learned how to run a store.

In 1918, Finch started his own store in his cabin by selling canned beans and rolled oats on a few shelves with a tarp thrown over his bed.

The museum’s archives said the store was open whenever Finch was home. He eventually expanded his products and even had a travelling store, which was a suitcase of goods he would bring to parties.

In the winter of 1927, Red Powell and Martin DeWitt built a large store for Finch on what is now the northeast corner of 100th Street and 100th Avenue.

According to the museum’s archives, Finch donated five acres of land to the Catholic Church, supplied a plot to the hospital about a block away, and provided land for the cemetery and government building, including a post office.

Fort St. John grew around the store, and Finch’s business boomed as more settlers homesteaded nearby.

When settlers began to bring automobiles into the area, Finch even added an Imperial Oil pump.

Mary Kelly Brooks worked at Finch’s store, and he married her in 1930. The couple lived in the quarters above the store as his business grew.

The museum’s archives state Finch’s health was declining by the end of the 1930s. He sold his store to Chris Field in 1943 before Finch died of cancer in 1945.

The Fort St. John Co-op was founded in 1945 and opened in Finch’s store.

The Co-op built a new building, opening it on August 31st, 1960, which is still present on 100th and 100th. According to the archives, the location had the largest floor space of any store in Fort St. John at the time.

The café has been an important part of Fort St. John downtown for many years, and Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen said she is very proud of the café on the corner of 100th and 100th now.

“Whole Wheat and Honey is a gem. I love it. It really is in the heart of our community for Fort St. John,” Hansen said.

She said she likes to meet with businesses, residents and non-profit groups at the café due to its warm and inviting atmosphere.

“It really is a meeting hub,” Hansen said.

The mayor said she thinks whoever comes in next will be able to add their personal touches to a strong legacy thanks to the business model Whole Wheat and Honey café has built up over the years.

No updates on the café’s sale have been available since the original post in August, but anyone interested in running the café is asked to email Devrey at info@wholewheatandhoney.com.