Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Doug Collins

ONE MAN'S OPINION

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THE TRANQUILLE CORRIDOR from the Overlanders Bridge to 8th Street has always been the heart of the North Shore. When I came to Kamloops in 1970, that section was alive with activity.

Historian and former Museum Curator Ken Favrholdt wrote in Kamloops This Week about the history of the area and how it developed.

When I lived in an apartment on Yew Street for a time, it was a great place to be. I remember at the south end there was the Ellsay Brothers store, Dixie-Lee Fried chicken, Ab’s grocery, Ideal Custom Tailors, a beauty shop, music shop and some great restaurants. Those included, among others, the Keg, Joe Celona’s Gondola Restaurant, and Syro’s, a popular spot for a late-night pizza place. There were doctors’ offices, the post office, and at the north end, the Skyway Drive-In.

The Village Hotel was the first drive-in hotel in the Southern Interior. Over the years, some businesses shut down, others took their place. But the Village remained. As time passed, it became less attractive, despite the efforts of a series of owners to keep it up.

The City eventually bought it for well over its value, hoping to sell it or keep it for development. It will soon be demolished. Maybe it will provide a spot supportive housing, maybe some higher-end housing, perhaps some shopping.

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Whatever happens, it will be better than what is there now. And perhaps it will finally spur growth that will bring new opportunities for the area.

The North Shore Business Improvement Association and many merchants have been working for many years to redevelop the strip. Without the presence of the eyesore hotel and the reputation it brought, the window of opportunity may finally be opening.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.