The big red barn at the corner of Henry Road and the Trans-Canada Highway is a Chemainus landmark. With the recent closure of the Antique Barn, which operated at the site for nearly 20 years, the future of the iconic building remains uncertain.
The Antique Barn has long been a bustling hub for antique lovers, treasure hunters and curious tourists. Many of those visitors discovered the store after pulling over to snap a photo with the CT-133 fighter jet stationed out front. The jet has become a roadside attraction in its own right and a quirky invitation to explore the large vintage collective inside.
Kevin Smith has owned the business for the past six years. Before getting into the antique trade, he worked internationally as a chef. His culinary resume includes several stints in the Arctic, a post as private chef to an Italian baron, and work aboard Holland America Line cruise ships. On Vancouver Island, he served as chef at the Coast Discovery Inn in Campbell River and led the kitchen at the renowned Il Terrazzo restaurant in Victoria.
Smith took over the Antique Barn from Vaughn Ford in 2019.
“I worked overseas for many years,” Smith said. “After that, I said, OK, I'm going to take a break.”
As many retirees will relate to, those turned out to be famous last words. When Ford offered to sell him the business, he accepted and his retirement turned into what Smith called "semi-retirement."
“I had a house full of antiques so it was a perfect opportunity.”
Smith said that the business nearly tripled in size under his ownership. At its peak, the barn housed more than 40 vendors.
Like many small businesses, the Antique Barn faced challenges during the pandemic. Smith adapted quickly, diversifying to stay afloat. To help the business weather the period, Smith partnered with U-Haul as a local dealer. Rental income from the trucks helped cover staffing costs during the lean months of COVID-19.
Over the years, Smith also invested heavily in improvements to the building, including refinished floors and custom display platforms to better showcase vendor wares.
Smith said he had plans to expand the property by opening a bakery and pizzeria in the lower unit of the building. He envisioned a wood-fired oven outside and a rotating menu indoors, fresh bread and baked goods during the night shift, and pizza service by day. Smith saw the project as a new chapter alongside the Antique Barn, blending his culinary roots with his entrepreneurial spirit. Those plans came to a halt at the beginning of April.
The Antique Barn closed its doors at the end of the month after their lease came up for renewal and the rent was set to increase to an amount Smith said was unaffordable.
A message posted to the business’s Facebook page read, “The last couple of weeks have been a very trying time but you have all been amazing. For those that keep asking why we are leaving it wasn't by any means our choice, our lease was up for renewal and the rent was being raised by a massive unjustifiable amount.”
Despite the challenging circumstances, Smith is committed to reopening.
“I’ve made the effort to offer [our vendors] free storage and moving to support them, as they have supported me,” he said. More than 20 vendors hope to join him at a future location once one is found.
Smith repeatedly emphasized his concern for his vendors. To many of them, the store wasn’t just a retail space; it was a small business incubator for vendors, many of whom had been part of the Antique Barn community for years.
Bergie’s, the popular food truck run by Lance Bergeron that had long operated outside the Antique Barn, has also relocated. It can now be found at 9347B Trans-Canada Highway in Chemainus, across from the Co-op Gas Station and next to B&H Tire. The business’s hours and days of operation remain the same.
“The Antique Barn/Emporium will continue in a new location,” the Facebook message concluded. “We will make that announcement as soon as we have the details finalized. Thanks again and see you all again soon.”
Building owner Jim Shockey says upgrades are underway to prepare the property for its next chapter.
“Plans are underway for a major clean-up both inside and out, and some much needed TLC, like a new roof,” read a statement from Shockey’s office. “We have nothing in ink regarding new tenants but the sooner we can get these improvements finished the sooner we can get started on the future plans for this iconic building. Stay tuned.”
Shockey is a Canadian television producer, big game hunter and outfitter, and the owner of the Hand of Man Museum in Maple Bay, which showcases his private collection of natural history specimens, Indigenous art and cultural artifacts.
The red barn at the corner of Henry Road and the Trans-Canada Highway has long been a landmark for travellers and a hub for antique collectors and vendors. Its most recent tenant, Kevin Smith, closed the Antique Barn at the end of April following a rent increase and the end of a six-year lease. Smith plans to reopen the business in a new location.
The building was originally constructed in 1989 by Laurie Arbuthnot and her then-husband Mark Dawe, who operated the business as the Chemainus Valley Antique Centre. They also lived in an apartment below.
“It was pretty amazing and it was at the height of antique popularity, so we were so busy,” Arbuthnot recalled. The couple sold the business and building in 1996. Arbuthnot now owns Wild Coast Perfumery Ltd., based in Cowichan Bay.
While the building's next chapter is still to be determined, its long-standing presence in Chemainus has made it a familiar waypoint for locals and visitors alike.
