INNISFAIL - The devastating fire to Innisfail’s historic 115-year-old Globe Coliseum Building and the added damage to the neighbouring Jackson building in the downtown historic block has stirred many fond memories for Innisfailians.
First known as the Stone Building that was built in 1908, the Globe Coliseum building housed the Union Bank of Canada building that had already been in the location as a stand-alone wooden structure.
William Hodge Sr.'s Coliseum Store occupied the right side, with the Union Bank of Canada housed on the left side.
Hodge Sr. died in 1917. His son Willie sold the store to M.H. Smith in 1927; changing the name to The Globe Store.
This building later housed a multitude of other business ventures; recently becoming the business location of Inspiration Ink Tattoos.
Next door to the west is an equally historic building that was originally known as the Geary Building but is now known as the Jackson Building.
This 117-year-old structure, which now houses the immensely popular 42-year-old Gift Loft store, also sustained extensive water and smoke damage from the Aug. 2 fire next door to the east.
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This building was built by George Geary in 1906 with bricks from the Innisfail brickyard and was known as Geary's Drug Store.
John Cowan Calder purchased the business from Geary in 1918 and renamed it Calder's Drug Store.
While the Jackson family had their pharmacy on the main floor, The Gift Loft and its unique 21 stairs would become a gathering place for Lodge Hall members, as well as being a place of choice for many community functions.
It also housed offices for several local businesses, including John Edgar's accounting business and Dr. George Herman's chiropractic practice.
In 1982, the Jackson family converted the upstairs into one main room for the new Gift Loft business.
Nine years later In 1991 The Gift Loft moved to the building’s ground floor, where Danna Melnyk (nee Jackson) ran the business.
Her brothers, Brent and Tim Jackson, moved Jackson’s Pharmacy from the Jackson Building’s ground floor two doors east to the former Berscht Building, which became Jackson’s Pharmasave. That building burnt down in 2009.
Much like the Royal Theatre's (today’s Century Theatre) tin roof, this unique light pink feature is also prominent in The Gift Loft today and carefully restored by current owner Melnyk to its original colour.
These two buildings hold so many memories for Innisfailians.
Many of us have walked past them, taken photos of each and shopped in their stores.
These buildings are much more than just structures; they symbolize Innisfail in our continued innovation for business vitality and resilience.
Sheri Griffith is an Innisfail historian.
