Canadian Home Investment Company - Kamloops, BC
Posted by: 
T0SHEA
N 50° 40.550 W 120° 20.106
10U E 688281 N 5617164
Another of the several original two storey brick buildings which remain along Victoria Street, the Freemont Block made its appearance in 1911.
Waymark Code: WM14R9E
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/14/2021
Views: 2
For an undetermined length of time the Canadian Home Investment Company, a mortgage lender, occupied a room on the upper floor of the Freemont Block, all of which was devoted to office space.
On Page 7 of the June 14, 1912 issue of the (Kamloops) Inland Sentinel the company ran the ad you see to the left, in which it identifies itself as being located in the Freemont Block. We were unable to find any earlier or later ads, so have no idea for how long the company remained in business. There's no contemporary reference to the company to be found. It could have changed it name or could have been absorbed by another company.
Today the street level bays are occupied by a Tea Joint & Local Gallery and 4 Cats Arts Studio. It's unknown as to who or what now occupies these offices.
Very much like other two storey brick buildings from the era in downtown Kamloops, the Freemont Block has managed to retain the architectural integrity of its upper floor, while the ground level has undergone substantial renovation. Faux pilasters adorn each of the lower bays, while all of the original architecture has been either masked or done away with.
The upper storey, however, appears pretty much as it did when constructed in 1911, with the original brick still exposed. The obligatory cornice remains essentially intact, with its large ogee end brackets and rectangular modillions. There's not much other decoration on the upper floor, beyond a thin wood moulding above the upper windows.