Lighthouse Fish Market closing after nearly 40 years on James North
Independent Portuguese grocer with the colourful produce displays a big part of popular strip’s revival
With each season, the sidewalk outside of Lighthouse Fish Market transforms, as a new array of colours dot the displays.
Reds from tomatoes and peppers. Yellows from sunflowers and squash. Greens from beans and plants. Purples from onions and eggplants.
That familiar sight has been a community fixture on James Street North for the last four decades — but come this spring, that chapter of Hamilton’s retail history will come to a close.
The independent Portuguese grocer quietly announced last week — through handmade paper hearts posted around the shop — that it will be closing in April as owner Elcina Miranda retires.
It’s not a decision that came easily for the family, said Sandy Miranda, who helps her mother run the store. The shop was originally opened by Elcina and her husband Frank, who died in 2016.
“It’s going to be devastating to leave,” said Sandy. “But we’re looking forward to the next chapter.”
Sandy said the sale of the store was something the family had promised to their father before he died, as Frank wanted Elcina to be able to enjoy her retirement years.
The building had been listed for sale in 2019, but the family had a “change of heart” and took the store off the market as their mother wasn’t ready to part with the business, said Sandy.
However, that sentiment changed a few months ago and the shop went back up for sale, with the building being sold to a buyer from the Toronto area.
“Mom has finally decided that it’s time,” said Sandy. “It’s bittersweet because this has been such a huge part of our family.”
Sandy grew up in the market with her three siblings, often bragging to her friends that her parents owned a store and she could get any of the food she wanted for free.
Her father would decorate the street and the shop for big events like the World Cup and was a big supporter of Art Crawl and, later, Supercrawl.
“Dad just loved the community and was an advocate for the community,” said Sandy.
When Elcina and Frank opened the store in 1985, James Street North was seen as a hub for the Portuguese and Italian communities in the city.
Nearly one in every three businesses and residences along the street were occupied by Portuguese residents and entrepreneurs in the early 1990s, the Spectator previously reported.
That presence is still visible in the neighbourhood, however, it has dwindled as other cultural groups moved in and the city’s arts and culture scene gained a foothold on the street.
But that too has changed in recent years, as some galleries and performance spaces have closed amid rising property values, with most of the streetscape now dotted by cafés, restaurants and vintage shops.
The Portuguese spots that do remain include the Vasco da Gama Soccer Club, Dunas Verdes, Wild Orchid and Ola Bakery and Pastry as well as Alves Meats and the community band hall on nearby MacNab Street.
Many in the community attend church at St. Mary’s Parish on Sheaffe Street.
Sandy noted that being able to watch the street evolve from the aisles of the market has been “fascinating” for the family, even if it has meant a shift in the local culture.
Even with that shrinking presence, however, Sandy noted that the market’s Portuguese customer base has remained steady — and with the news of the impending closure, the phone “hasn’t stopped ringing.”
Unlike chain grocery stores, the shop carries specialty items such as frozen and salted cod, sweet bread, Portuguese sausage and other staples that many rely on for cultural dishes and family recipes.
The store started out as a fresh fish market, but had to pivot to include other offerings over the years due to rising costs and shrinking demands, Sandy noted.
“They’re in shock,” said Sandy, noting that some of their customers are seniors who speak very little English. “We’ve been a huge staple in the community.”
Local realtor John Mota, who was in the shop Friday morning, said the closure of the market is “very sad” for the local Portuguese community, as the “customs and traditions” once prominent on the street continue to fade.
Other customers that popped in and out of the shop Friday congratulated Elcina on her retirement as she rung them through from behind the Plexiglas plastered with yellow and red signs announcing the change.
Former city councillor Brian McHattie said that shops like Lighthouse make up the “essence of the city,” pointing to its existence as a contribution to the “renaissance” of James Street North.
“If you don’t have places like this, you don’t have that ongoing commitment to the street over decades,” said McHattie.
Sonja DePauw noted that while the market is a “link to the history” of the street, it’s also an affordable option for locals to shop as the cost of food continues to skyrocket.
On behalf of her family, Sandy thanked customers for their years of support, kindness, generosity and memories, added that serving the community has brought joy to their family.
“We will definitely miss everyone deeply,” said Sandy.
“This is going to be a huge void for us.”
Lighthouse Fish Market is set to close before the end of April.