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Old 04-29-2014, 05:43 PM   #1
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Shopping

When we get to Chilliwack we're going to need to go shopping. Am I correct that most people go to Bellingham or are there good places to shop in Chilliwack?
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Old 04-29-2014, 06:30 PM   #2
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What sort of shopping? Local products that strike me would be fruits and vegetables and local BC wines. A friend is having me pick up mucho bottles of Fat Tug beer from Vancouver Island. I have already checked out the wine selection at the liquor store connected to the Best Western Motel, I think it will be a sampling of at least three bottles the first night.

Groceries are still unsettled for me. Since the trailer pick up will be back in the US I considered the Safeway store in Lynden, however we are heading back into BC after delivery and there are restrictions on meats and vegetables going into Canada. I think we will grocery shop in BC.

To make the original question more specific, any suggestions for grocery in Chilliwack, Abbotsford or environs?
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Old 04-29-2014, 06:52 PM   #3
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There are restrictions on food going both ways across the border so be careful what you buy if crossing the border.
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Old 04-29-2014, 07:40 PM   #4
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To make the original question more specific, any suggestions for grocery in Chilliwack, Abbotsford or environs?
Initially I was going to try to be funny and talk about seal and whale blubber since this is Canada! But it seems you already know quite a bit about BC / Canada. I have to recommend that u shop at Save-On-Foods. It's a big BC owned grocery store chain up here in BC / Alberta that my wife just retired from. So if u shop there it will help to keep her pension secure.

However depending on when u come up if u are in Chilliwack u need to get Chiiliwack corn. Sold from road side stands.

Also in Sardis there is a Dutch run place called Hofstede's Country Barn . Hofstede's Country Barn, Chilliwack. Liz and I have eaten at their deli many times when we summered at Cultus Lake and shopped there for fresh products. It's a few minutes drive from the Escape factory and u could get fresh fruit / veggies and other grocery items to augment all your other groceries.

Have fun. Larry
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Old 04-29-2014, 07:55 PM   #5
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The food store suggestions are helpful -- i'd forgotten about not bringing food into Canada -- Does this mean when we leave Kootenay National Park and drive down to Glacier in the U.S. that we'll have to dump any fresh food?
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Old 04-29-2014, 08:01 PM   #6
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What sort of shopping? I have already checked out the wine selection at the liquor store connected to the Best Western Motel, I think it will be a sampling of at least three bottles the first night.
Hi there, If I was looking for a decent selection of BC wines I'd just go to a government liquor store in Chilliwack and look for the BC wine section and pick Wines with a VQA designation. I'd stay away from the liquor store attached to the Best Western. The BC Gov liquor store staff will be happy to steer u to as many bottles of good BC wine as u like. Home | BC Liquor Stores. The good folk at the Escape Factory will be able to direct u to the nearest gov liquor store.

Enjoy
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Old 04-29-2014, 08:05 PM   #7
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The food store suggestions are helpful -- i'd forgotten about not bringing food into Canada -- Does this mean when we leave Kootenay National Park and drive down to Glacier in the U.S. that we'll have to dump any fresh food?
I think so. It seems to work going both ways thru the border. When Liz and I come back to Canada from the States, we have been known to gobble up all the random bananas, etc we have in the car as we wait in the line of vehicles going thru canadian customs.
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Old 04-29-2014, 08:07 PM   #8
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The food store suggestions are helpful -- i'd forgotten about not bringing food into Canada -- Does this mean when we leave Kootenay National Park and drive down to Glacier in the U.S. that we'll have to dump any fresh food?
Best to Google "what food can I bring into Canada" and "what food can I bring into the U.S. "
That way you will find yourself at an official government site and get your information from the source.
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Old 04-29-2014, 08:12 PM   #9
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Ruthe,
Sorry for hijacking your thread. I have read the rules for cross border crossing of food but I am not familiar with them. I will let someone local respond.

Larry,
I never thought of seal blubber until you mentioned it, I had Dungeness Crab on the radar. Can I pass on the blubber? I had scoped out the grocery stores in the area but it is so hard to get a feel for the store by looking at sales flyers and store photos. I had seen Hofstede's but gave them another look after your comments. Unfortunately or fortunately they are closed on Sunday's.

Real Canadian Superstore showed up, is this a warehouse operation? The sales flyers looked lean on fresh items, not sure that is representative. I see Save on Foods is a big chain, they are No. 42 of all grocers in US and Canada. The fact they have a pension says a lot. If your wife is fully vested in the pension, great? If not I will be sure to stop.
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Old 04-29-2014, 08:18 PM   #10
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Every time we go camping, I have to explain to my wife that there are grocery stores all over BC and it isn't necessary to load up the trailer and drag everything up the road.
Every time we load up anyway, and we still end up shopping for groceries.
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Old 04-29-2014, 08:30 PM   #11
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Real Canadian Superstore would be more of a big box store where you may or may not see better prices. Of course my bias would be towards Save-On-Foods which has one store in downtown Chilliwack and one in Sardis which is south of the #1 highway. The store in Chilliwack is larger than the one in Sardis. Both stores would have everything you will need and it would be a more pleasant shopping experience in my opinion. Save-On-Foods (Overwaitea Food Group) is a privately owned food chain with stores in British Columbia and Alberta. I am fully vested but I think you should still shop at one of the stores.

Liz
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Old 04-29-2014, 09:10 PM   #12
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Not sure what kind of "shopping" you're looking for but we would second the road side stands for fresh produce etc. If you need trailer stuff...our experience was that BC Walmart prices were often 20-30% higher than USA Walmarts for same or similar items. We also found items purchased at BC Walmarts can't be returned in USA Walmarts which was a real surprise. We purchased most of our trailer accessories from Amazon before the pilgrimage to Chilliwack.
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Old 04-29-2014, 09:15 PM   #13
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Hi Ruth, here is the Government website on what you can and can not bring into the US, food wise.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...r-personal-use

Regards
Scott
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Old 04-29-2014, 09:27 PM   #14
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So what about camping supplies, kitchen utensils, etc. I remember that Tammy said she goes into Bellingham to shop, and I don't know if that's because there are more stores there or whether it's cheaper on the U.S. side. Although with the exchange rate that might not be the case right now. And I just read through the list of banned items and I realized that my kiefer starter will not be allowed across the border because it's in milk. Some people bring their pets -- I bring my grains of kiefer that turns into a kind of yogurt drink and I nurture it like a baby. Oh well.
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Old 04-29-2014, 09:50 PM   #15
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I would buy everything I could in the states. The bin box on wheels for under the bed storage that we purchased at the Chilliwack Walmart was $24 or so as I remember. Back home in ID it was about $18-19. Padlocks were similar in price difference. I didn't figure in the exchange rate but everything felt the same as when I was trying to buy Titleist golf balls in England...$60-65 there and $45 here. The free black berries along most of the roads were another story though.
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