Saturday, August 29, 2009

A close call for a local landmark



We were very fortunate to have not lost out local community hall this month. It all started when a couple of kids decided to do some camping out under the spruce trees by our local hall. They lit a fire under the shelter of the spruce trees to keep warm. We think that they put the fire out when they left but didn't realize that the fire had gone into the roots of the trees. After about one week of smoldering and traveling along under the trees the wind came up fanning the flames creating an intense grass fire. Luckily one of our neighbors Mark Mountain was driving by, noticed the flames. If he hadn't noticed it then in about 5 minutes the grass fire would have travelled the 50 feet and reached the 113 year old school house and the rest would have been history. This hall has many special memories for me as the spruce trees were planted in part by my Grandfather Wilfred Edgar under the supervision of my Greatgrandfather William. Wilfrid took all his schooling there, as did my father, my aunt, and all my uncles as well as many of the people in the community. They closed this school in the spring of 1958 and I started school in the fall of 1958, so I just missed going to school there. After closing the school this building was then turned into a community hall, a gathering place for many seasonal functions such as the Christmas Concert. This was the place where I first met Santa Clause In those days we only saw him once per year so it was indeed a memorable time. Not like now where he is in every mall and on every street corner.

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