Archival photo - c. 1950'sDraffins Pharmacy on the southeast corner of 4th Ave. & 5th St. S.
We took the opportunity to meet with Mike Ramsdell to talk about his recent move to the historical S.S. Kresge building on Round Street (5th Street S.). Prior to the move, Draffins had been located near the east entrance of Lethbridge Centre since the mall opened in 1974. The move provided them with the opportunity to double their retail and office space.
Mike and his wife Cara nee Draffin have been involved in the family business for the past decade, and took full ownership of the pharmacy a couple of years ago from her father, Rod. The Draffin family has owned and operated the pharmacy for over 80 years. They have always prided themselves on offering a wide range of products and professional pharmaceutical services to their many valued customers.
Although a lot of the initial rehabiliation of the interior and exterior of the S.S. Kresge building took place in 2004, it still took Mike and Cara approximately five months of demolition and renovation work to realize their vision for the new pharmacy. They wanted to ensure that the renovation was sensitive to the historic character of the original building. Rather than simply replace the wooden doors with contemporary automatic doors, they went to the extra expense of installing custom built maple doors in order to meet their requirements. They also added character fascia and projecting signage that included historic materials such as neon and metal. The result, a new, state-of-the-art pharmacy that is brimming with character and charm.
Because of their significant investment in the new location, they are now able to offer their customers a greater selection of products and services, including a private health-care counselling room.
The next time that you're downtown, make sure to check out their new location - 319 - 5th Street South (just a few doors down from the Penny Coffee House). Phone (403) 327-3364.
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