Did you know that the North Vancouver area is home to more than 4,500 businesses, most of which are locally-owned and operated 'independent' businesses? Neither did we when we first started ShopNo...rthVancouver.com. Not only did we not know how many businesses there were, we had no idea just how many products and services were available locally that we had been driving to other communities to purchase or ordering online. It turned out that pretty much anything we needed could be found in our own backyard with some 'digging', but it required more effort than most people were willing to spend to find out what was available.   At the same time, big box stores and online mega stores with more marketing power were capturing customers' purchases and drawing them in and away from the downtown core and local independent businesses. more