The door-to-door cold produce delivery man with a hot idea.
"1937::Reg Parlby and His Custom Heated Vegetable Delivery Truck"
Photo Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1937)
Victoria, British Columbia
Snow was falling on Victoria when Reg Parlby arrived at A.P. Slades on Wholesale Row, a bustling food distribution hub near the corner of Yates and Wharf Streets. Most food pedlars ceased to operate during cold weather, fearing their produce would freeze before the goods could be delivered. But not Parlby. He had installed a wood stove in the back of his truck to keep himself and his inventory from freezing. After loading up with as much fresh produce as he could stack, he drove away, smoke curling from a black chimney attached to the back end of his truck.
Parlby was committed to his customers, often selling fresh fruits and vegetables from the back of his truck in the Shelbourne-Haultain area. He went the extra mile on Mondays and Thursdays, selling his entire stock door-to-door while on a two-day road trip through Langford, Bamberton, Shawnigan Lake, Cobble Hill, and even Lake Cowichan if the roads were good. He never lost a single vegetable to frost, thanks to his ingenious wood stove idea. Parlby was one of the only food truck vendors who didn't suspend operations due to cold weather, making him one of the most successful travelling salesmen on Vancouver Island during the Great Depression.