Search the Site

P01810 – Street scene looking east up Lougheed Highway. Fuller Watson is on the right. Taken 1950-54.

P03482 – Fuller Watson in Port Haney, by the Bank of Montreal. Circa 1926.

P03453 – Uncle Jack and his wife Vivian (Veinotte) Fuller in front of Fuller Watson. Taken circa 1930, when the business was moved 'up the hill'.

Fuller Watson

In 1913, Jack Fuller was hired as an employee at Hall & Sons. By 1922 Owen Fuller Sr., with his sons Bill and Jack , had acquired the majority share in the store's stock and land. In 1924 the store received the name it is known by today when Jack (Okey) Watson, brother-in-law of Jack and Bill Fuller, became a partner.

The Fuller Watson General Store was typical of stores of that era. From home-made cookies, to fishnets and household merchandise, Fuller Watson provided what the residents of Haney required. It was the first store in the district to sell gasoline, which had to brought up the river by the stern-wheeler, S.S. Skeena, and rolled off in barrels. During the twenties most of the merchandise was hauled by hard-tired trucks along rough roads from Vancouver to Haney.

With the development of the Lougheed Highway to the north, many businesses began to move "up the hill" from River Road. In 1932 a stucco-finished one-storey building was built at Fuller Watson's current location. Floor space was gradually increased to keep up with the needs of the rapidly growing pioneer district. A full line of furniture, crockery and Westinghouse electrical appliances were added to the stock.

Fuller Watson continued to grow and prosper with the passage of time. Haney's first department store was also one of the largest privately owned stores in the Fraser Valley. In 1948 the grocery department was closed out and the store could no longer be classified as a general store. It became an up-to-date department store carrying everything from gifts to baby wear, plumbing supplies and lawnmowers.

In 1953 Owen Fuller, son of Bill Fuller, purchased an interest in the firm and it became Fuller Watson, Ltd.

In 1962 the store was again completely remodelled, with the floor area nearly doubling to 12,000 square feet and the warehouse area increasing to nearly 4,000 square feet. In the spring of 1975 an additional 24.000 square feet were added to the warehouse. The development of the office building space and apartments extending east along the Lougheed Highway was brought about largely by Jack Watson and Jack and Bill Fuller. In 1962 Fuller Watson, Ltd. formed a business partnership with Link Hardware, Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta, enabling the Haney department store to be more competitive with the giant retailers.

In the 70's, Fuller Watson was continuing to grow. In September, it expanded upstairs, providing space for a sprawling furniture department. Also that year, the parkade was built behind the store, with a covered walkway leading to it. In June of 1975, they opened a separate store on its back lot to house its televisions and stereo equipment, and the hardware and appliance departments. In 1987, there was a transfer of company shares to Owen's son, Bruce, and Jack Magnell.

The growth of Fuller Watson, Ltd. has closely paralleled the growth and urbanization of Port Haney. It's capacity to adapt to the demands on an ever-changing marketplace enabled Fuller Watson to forge its way into the future, but it's tradition and customer service that have secured its prominent standing in the community.

To learn more about Port Haney click the Next Topic button below:

If you have more information on this topic, please contact us.
Our community history can only be as accurate as our resources allow.