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Vancouver Now & Then: This store on Kingsway was at the centre of a 1936 bank robbery attempt

The only reason a photo was taken of these two nondescript buildings in 1936 was for a court case.
John Bentley - Vancouver Now & Then
666 Kingsway
The 600-block of Kingsway in 1936 and 2020. In the mid-30s, a vacant shop was used by would-be robbers to gain access to the bank next door.Vancouver Archives and John Bentley/Vancouver Now & Then

Take a look at the building located at 666 Kingsway in 1936 and 2020.

The only reason a photo was taken of these two nondescript buildings in 1936 was for a court case. Some would-be robbers rented the empty store at 662 Kingsway under the guise of growing mushrooms. They were caught digging a tunnel under the dry cleaner with the intention of robbing the Royal Bank next door.

The former bank is currently a seafood market, while the old cleaners is the Empress Bakery.

666 Kingsway
The 600-block of Kingsway in 1936 and 2020. In the mid-30s, a vacant shop was used by would-be robbers to gain access to the bank next door. Vancouver Archives and John Bentley/Vancouver Now & Then

John Bentley is an architectural photographer who has photographed the inside and outside of thousands of buildings around Vancouver. Using images from the Vancouver Archives he offers a glimpse of the past and present on his site Vancouver Now & Then.