After nearly three decades they have served their last customer.
Friday, March 31 marked the last day of operation for South Coast Casuals – an institution in the heart of Ladner Village for the past 28 years.
Last November, Tracey and Bill McKnight along with their daughter Jill, made the announcement that they were closing the store paving the way for Tracey and Bill to begin a long-deserved retirement, and allowing Jill to focus fully on her role as executive director of the Delta Chamber of Commerce.
I have had the pleasure of getting to know the McKnights on a personal level as well as business leaders in our community the past six years. In fact, one of my first interviews here at the Optimist when I joined the editorial department in the summer of 2016 was Jill in her capacity as president of the Ladner Business Association.
Her warm and welcoming demeanor and willingness to promote the LBA and its member businesses told me right away what a special person she is.
I soon was introduced to her parents Tracey and Bill and those same feelings were apparent in our first of what has been many meaningful and pleasant interactions over the past six years.
The McKnights represent all that is good about not only our business community, but our community in general. They have worked hard to not only run a successful business, employing many for years, but have championed for other businesses in the Village, promoted events, volunteered to ensure events could be enjoyed by our community – including the popular Ladner Village Market in June, which they will still oversee.
The doors of South Coast Casuals are now closed, but the McKnights heart and soul for the love of our community will always be open and for that, we thank you.
