Can anyone help me with who might be the owner of any of these photos? I am authoring a photo history hardcover book, based on the Facebook group, "You Know You're From Victoria When..." and am including a two… Meer page spread on Ian's Coffee Stop. I'd very much like to use these photos. If you can help me, please private message me, or reply here. Thanks so much! 
I did send something but before I became a member of this group, I never saw it posted so I will go back. I first went to Ian's in 1957 when I was at Victoria College, a friend and I boarded together and occasionally we went to Ian's, he knew Ian's because he went to University School. Then I went to UBC, took a couple of years off and finally… Meer went back to Victoria college, dropped into Ian's and he said' Duncan, haven't seen you for ages', well, my name isn't Duncan but Ian remembered I was from Duncan, so that was my name and stuck forever. I ate there a lot in the early 70's as I worked evenings and dropped in there for dinner. Always a great place. The best cheeseburgers, the best grilled ham and cheese (real slabs of ham, real cheddar slices), the best omelette, oh, pies, doughnuts, coffee. What a place. It was a home away from home for a lot of people. I will never forget Ian or his restaurant.
Brief History:
1889-1990...Jubilee Hospital begins construction and electric streetcars run down Fort St.
1912...Mrs. Catherine Turner (Kate, Ian's mother) immigrates from Scotland.
1917...Original Jubilee… Meer Confectionary established at Birch & Richmond, owned by the Case family.
1937...Mrs. Turner moves her family into the upper floor of the store and works there. Ian was 10 years old.
1942...Mrs. Turner purchases the store. Ian begins work there.
1946...The Turner Block is built and the Coffee Stop established.
1951...Ian is married to Catherine (Kay) Braithwaite, who began as a waitress there.
2001...Coffee Stop closes operations.
2007...Ian passes, at age 80.
My first job in Victoria was doing dishwashing/food prep in at Ian's. It was 1987 and I earned $4.35 an hour. I was there for maybe 6 months. I have many fond memories of Ian and Charlotte greeting all the regulars, calling the eldery women, "young lady", etc. He was really a kindly guy and a great boss. I washed thousands of coffee cups and made hundreds of buckets of hand cut fries using the wall mount potato slicer in the basement. Nice to see some of these photos of the interior with all of Ian's hand made signs.
I lived in the area worked at Ian's in the 80s while in high school and college. Ian loved to give people nicknames. He always teased me and called me "fancy" as I had real sweet tooth for his famous donuts with the icing. Even years after I returned as a customer he teased me with that name. As a waitress he also paid a small bonus when I sold… Meer deserts to go with peoples meals. The bonus was a pittance compared to my tips, but it became a game with Ian and I. I remember he would sit at the counter and tally up the bills each pay to see what I had sold and I always tried to increase the number. My proudest moment being when he came out of the kitchen one day and I had all five tables of people sitting in the the cafe that afternoon eating cake. In his loud Ian way he looked around and said "Wow folks...she has done a lot of sweet talking today " Great boss and taught me a great work ethic. While I continued on to work at other places while I put myself through college, I never worked in a cleaner restaurant.
Lots of memories at Ian's..seems so long ago. Peeking through the curtains a few years back you could still see the dishes and kitchen with the cooking utensils still above the stove where you would see Ian cooking away. The last memory of being there was in 1992, would go there on a coffee break when I worked at the Jubilee. My first memory was when I was about 7 years old, 48 years ago.
Sarah's story about the upstairs apartment in the Turner Building being frozen in time came to mind when I read this...
Today is the 7th year anniversary of Ian Turners passing. Saying he was a good man is an understatement. He was a mans man. They just don't make them like him anymore. If you had the priviledge of knowing him, then you know. And if you had the priviledge of working with/for him then you should be proud of yourself because he only had the best… Meer people around him, inside and out. He was a joy to be around, never a dull moment, so full of life. I'm proud to say his daughter is my best friend because Charlotte Turner is a chip off thee old block as they say. Hands down the most thoughtful and caring and loving and brave person I know. I love you Miss Charlotte. I wish I could ease your pain.
