Do You Remember ?
Daily Bulletin - August 19, 1966
Kimberley pioneers will remember back in the early 20's when the area between the North Star Hotel, now B.C. Electric, old Mark Creek store, the Bay, was a charming little park. Lofty cotton woods and pines framed this setting for band concerts, afternoon teas, strawberry socials and open air meetings. Park benches were there for all to enjoy.Then came Kimberley's first Post Office building, a fine. brick structure to serve the growing populace. This was progress, true but a favorite land mark was lost - no more benches on which one could while away an idle hour.
Across the street, an avenue of cotton woods still lined Spokane street from Deer Park Avenue to Kimberley Avenue and it was on this corner that Mayor Swan and council had benches placed for the convenience of the public.
The benches soon became a popular meeting place, a land mark as it were. Here pensioners and old timers still gather on a sunny afternoon to reminesce.
The city looks to the maintenance and the placing of the benches in early spring and their removal to storage each fall, but over the years, the benches have become associated with the Bank of Montreal "The Bank Benches".
Now the question arises what becomes of the benches when the bank moves later this fall, to its new location on the corner of Wallinger and Spokane.
