The first block of Commercial Street, just off Commercial Drive near 17th, is an unexpectedly long stretch that's home to some great independent businesses including the Commercial Street Cafe, The Vancouver Tool Library and Trout & Co. Crafted and Curated Goods.
Trout & Co., named after nearby Trout Lake, is a general store and art exhibition space that is proudly local. The creation of Emilie Crewe and Hannah Newton, the small store is a unique destination carrying an ever-changing selection of local wares.
Emilie and Hannah, both artists who focus on different mediums, met at art school in Nova Scotia in 2004. After graduating, they found their way to Vancouver at different times, drawn by the ocean and the mountains, and were each running their own businesses. Trout & Co. came about almost accidentally according to Hannah. “We wanted to share a studio space and feed off each other's creative energy, but when we got into the space it seemed a shame not to make use of the storefront. We decided to curate a small selection of made-in-Canada goods — as well as our goods.”
