Third-generation butcher evolves during backwoods-to-boom transformation west of Victoria

Rick Fisher has seen the city of Langford grow up around the butcher shop his grandfather founded in the "backwoods" of Langford nearly 70 years ago.

New subdivisions now cover former farmland and forest that surroundedFisher's Glenwood Meats store on Parkdale Drive in the rapidly changing communities west of Victoria on Vancouver Island.

Fisher reopened the store in 1981, a couple of years after his father retired.As the population grew in recent years the store began to thriveagain.

"It was a bit of a struggle at first after two years of the doors being closed," Fisher said. "Most of the customers had moved on elsewhere."

The third-generation butcher's journey reflects part of the backwoods-to-boomtown story of Greater Victoria's Westshore community.

That story is the focus of twospecial CBCRadio One broadcasts on Thursday Feb. 22 coming from the YM-YWCA building in Langford's Westhills neighbourhood.

As patty press and stuffer machines turnout burgers and sausages in the back of the shop, Fisher described the changes to the community and the business since his grandfather Milton opened the doors in 1950.

Big-box competition

"The Western Communities have grown up around us," he said. "Prior to Westhills[subdivision]we were kind of in the backwoods back here, but we had a strong customer base of loyal customers that came in every week."

One of those regulars, Darlene,rememberedcoming as a child in the 1960s, when every kind got afree wiener

"Back in 1981 there weren't the Costcos and the Superstores that there are now but there's a lot more people living here," Fisher said.

Though the shop doesn't advertise free wienersfor kids anymore, Fisher said it has succeeded in competing with the big-box stores through offering specialty cuts and high quality products.

With files fromNicole Crescenzi.

On Thursday Feb. 22 join us asCBCRadio One broadcasts live from the WesthillsYM-YWCA in Langford:

On the Island with Gregor Craigie from 5:30 to 8:37 a.m.

All Points West with Jason D'Souzafrom 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.