McBain’s Celebrates 64 Years in Photo Business
Ross McBain opened the first McBain Camera location in the Bellamy Block on Rice Howard Way in 1949. In 1951 the store moved to 10203 Jasper Ave. in the Strand Theatre building and eight years later relocated to a larger space a few doors down, 10247 Jasper Ave., next to The Silk Hat restaurant. The first branch store coincided with the opening of Westmount Mall in 1955. In 1960 McBain’s opened their third store in Bonnie Doon Mall. Since then the Jasper Ave. (main) store has moved to 107 Ave. & 108 St., Bonnie Doon has moved to 75 St. & 82 Ave. and Westmount has relocated to West Edmonton Mall. McBain Camera has also expanded to include stores at Southgate, City Centre, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Red Deer and Lethbridge, adding up to a total of 9 stores, with over 95 employees.
Ross McBain, who still comes to the office on 107 Ave. daily, grew the business based on good old fashioned customer service, with the goal of always exceeding the customer’s expectations. His son Neil, who began working at McBain’s in 1972, now looks after the family business doing his best to maintain the high standards set by his father over the past 60+ years.