Not-so-needful things
the Globe and Mail, August 19, 2005

Go to an east-side corner in search of milk or smokes, and you may get more than you bargained for. St. George Marsh, at East 28th and St. George Streets, is part grocery store, part art gallery, part concert venue and an archive of collectible oddities.

There are no cigarettes or Coca-Cola at St. George Marsh, but you can find standard items like chips, juice, ketchup and flour. The shop supplies nostalgic (but still fresh) sweets such as Popeye Candy Sticks and Bazooka gum. The fridge is full of unopened Pop Shoppe bottles from the 1980s -- drink if you dare. Merchandise is selected with aesthetics in mind: Strange relics such as vintage mountaineer guides and collectible silver spoons are scattered around the shop, and it's not exactly clear what is for sale and what isn't. When the shopkeepers actually sell something, it's usually a drink or an ice-cream bar.

You may get the feeling you've walked into the brain of two offbeat art-school grads, and that's pretty much what this is. After the previous grocery store on the premises closed, former Emily Carr students Jacob Gleeson and Gareth Moore approached the building's owner, who happened to be a friend of theirs, and offered to it take over.

The owner agreed to rent the space -- including a one-bedroom apartment beside the shop -- for just $800 a month. Moore moved in and St. George Marsh, named after the historic wetland that once existed between Main and Fraser, opened in June. Both Gleeson and Moore already had full-time jobs, so they alternate shifts at the store on evenings and weekends.

"One of stipulations in the city zoning is that it has to remain a grocery store," Gleeson says. "We're interpreting that the way we want to."

One wall, dubbed "The Decoy Gallery," is cluttered with paintings, drawings and tiny art books. Gleeson says it's a space for people who don't necessarily consider themselves artists, but still create things. And every few weeks, Gleeson and Moore clear out the shop for a live concert, an art opening or a games night. St. George Marsh also has a library of books and videos that can be borrowed, as well as a collection of old cassette tapes, in case a fan of Boney M or Rap Traxx 2 walks in.

"Some people who come in here are enthusiastic and some can't comprehend what it is," Gleeson says. "One guy asked us what our business model was. Obviously, there isn't one."

The city inspectors have come by, but according to Gleeson, they haven't expressed concerns about the store. It looks like more neighbours will have a chance encounter with St. George Marsh.

St. George Marsh is open from 5 to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, at 4393 St. George St., 604-877-0842.