Built in 1938 by the Grindler Brothers as a grocery store, in 1942 this building was converted to a hardware store. In 1955 it became somewhat of a historic icon as it was expanded using reclaimed lumber and beams from historic
Camp McKinney. Founded in 1896, Camp McKinney is today a ghost town in the Boundary Country region of British Columbia. Established on the seemingly bright future of several gold mines, Camp McKinney thrived until about 1904, when the mines were played out and the miners and entrepreneurs moved on to other prospects.
For a number of years the building has been the home of
Home Hardware, a large Canadian hardware chain. The wording on one of the plaques indicates that Home Hardware itself was responsible for the mounting of the photos and plaques.
This, the story of the building of the first community hall in Osoyoos, is the second one from the left, when facing the group of five.
IN 1934 F.L. GOODMAN, G FRASER, AND C.L. CARLESS CALLED A PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS THE BUILDING OF A COMMUNITY HALL. THERE WERE FEW PEOPLE IN THE AREA AND LIMITED FINANCES, BUT THE PEOPLE WANTED A HALL AND IN OCTOBER 1934 A COMMUNITY CLUB WAS ORGANIZED. BY CHRISTMAS OF THAT YEAR THE COMMUNITY HALL WAS BUILT WITH THE HELP OF EVERYONE. THE HALL STOOD ON THE BEACH AT THE BOTTOM OF MAIN STREET UNTIL THE MID 1990S AND WAS THE SITE FOR LOCAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT ITS 60 YEARS. THE DIVING TOWER ON THE SHORES OF LAKE OSOYOOS BRINGS BACK MANY SUMMERTIME MEMORIES AND THE HALL BECAME THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY.