Canada’s oldest surfing goods retailer and one of downtown Victoria’s longest operating businesses has left behind its urban roots for new digs at Uptown Shopping Centre, Citified has learned.

 

Founded in 1980, HTO Surf Shop switched locales several times in its early years before settling in the 1300-block of Broad Street (between Johnson and Yates streets) in 1995. In 2014 HTO branched out to include a satellite storefront in the 2000-block of Otter Point Road in Sooke.

 

After 21-years at its Broad Street space and recently under new ownership, the historied retailer has relocated its flagship store to a ground-level unit along Uptown Boulevard in Saanich, following in the footsteps of former downtown retailers that include Sweet Nancy’s fashion boutique (since closed) and furniture retailer Urban Barn.

 

HTO's former Broughton Street location, sized at just under 2,900 square feet, is available for a monthly lease rate of approximately $5,500 per month.

 

In recent weeks several long-time downtown retailers also closed their premises, including Bryan’s women’s clothing store at the intersection of Johnson and Government streets and Hillary’s Cheese, a long-time purveyor of specialty foods in the 1000-block of Fort Street. And local Caribbean restaurant The Reef, a mainstay of lower Yates Street since the early 2000’s, will be closing at the end of January. A Vancouver-based eatery is expected to take over the high-profile space later this winter. C