Image Credit: CONTRIBUTED
July 18, 2014 - 7:00 AM
There’s an old adage that says “You never know what you had until it’s gone.” Yes, it’s a bit tacky to use cliches but it may be worth taking a closer look at the people and places in your life and recognize them before they go up in smoke.
Earlier this week, Keremeos lost one of its oldest buildings to a fire. The Red Bridge Pub was known by everyone in town and one of the main gathering spots in the community. It was a pub, liquor store and hotel that brought in regular business, especially at the liquor store, residents said.
The building was over 100 years old, originally built in 1914. It saw renovations and improvements over the years, but remained a piece of history for the small town. And now not only is a landmark gone, but an owner has lost his business and handful of employees have lost their jobs. The loss of business will surely affect the town’s economy and the lives of those who now need to find other work.
Fires are common but can be easily dismissed if they don’t affect us directly. When it does hit close to home, we may feel guilty for not having paid more attention to the building when it was standing tall. But what we can learn from this is to appreciate what’s around us more—the history of our communities and the way things are changing around us.
Our communities are full of stories and we can learn about them through buildings, people and books. The beauty of history is that it never vanishes, there is almost always a way to learn more about the past. But the history that lines the cracks of buildings and fills its walls is something to experience in the flesh, but you never know when the story of that building can go up in smoke.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014