THE HERALD - TERRACE HOTEL SUPPLEME

Photos and ‘advertising by: ‘Tess ‘Brousseau
Stories by: Catherine Mi. Fraser-Spencer

TERRACE HOTEL LEADS IN PROGRESS —

The New six story Terrace Hotel at this point, costing well over One anda Half 9

Million Dollars, is a first in Terrace. Augie and Lenora Geeraert, who ARE the -
i Terrace Hotel have taken the first step in leading Terrace and area to the
@ modern highrise era with the official opening of the New Terrace Hotel on n August
a8,
It was asad day in August, 1971, when fire demolished what was then a ‘thriving
and popular business. Elsewhere i in this supplement is the’ story of the hotel
pince 1911 but since those days many changes had been made.

| Augie and Lenora Geeraert had come up with a long-range pla nning program
s when they bought the hotel in 1955. They constructed an addition to the building,
put in a full basement and three floors which were added to the existing building.
qj This addition made room for Terrace’s first lounge.

| Terrace Hotel had Terrace’s first Cabaret, in fact it was the second cabaret out

sof the city of Vancouver. Then they added another wing with 22 modern, first
iclass bedrooms. After this was completed they renovated and modernized the
Blounge and dining room. The final stage, the public: house or Pub, was. not
acompleted when fire struck,

Augie admits, ‘The fire shook me up quite a bit, but 1 seem to recover quickly
a from any disaster, I guess that’ 8 just the way I am.”’

“In three days,” Augie went on, “I had plans on the table te to commence a.new |

gstructure and went ahead, with the blessing of the Municipal Council.

However with the architectural footings and-wall foundations we commenced
construction on October the 5th and carried on: through a long hard winter, in’
gwhich we lost eight weeks of construction time. — so Soe

But with B.C.’s two top construction men on the job we were » able to complete itt

§ in eight months. And here I must also mention other very important people on

@ the job, the architects, Dirasser, James, Jorgenson & Davis of Vancouver for.the

speed and efficiency in which ‘they worked; and the engineers that kept us
. ‘Supplied with working drawings. : ,

‘Augie also said, “J give my ‘full thanks to the men who aid the. 100, ob, the Co-
operation from Municipal Council] and Government inspectors who presided
jover their departments; also to George Mitritch and his Staff of. Best

f

Construction of Burnaby for the interior design. “1:

We present this hotel to the community of ‘Terrace and hipe that they u use it to
their fullest enjoyment. RE, ae

Wea are hoping. the foimily will I tae over. in | your best, interest i in’ the years to

CHRIS.’ LAURSEN,
President ‘of C.M.
Laursen Co. Ltd. of
Vancouver has been
construction manager in
charge of the all-over

‘project of building the

hew Terrace Hotel. In

interviewing people
B concerned with erecting

this beautiful structure in
our town I heard nothing
but praise for this man,

Chris Laursen, he has to

be someone very special
in his field to -have so
many, who worked with

Shim, or-as his position
‘denotes, for him, speak

so. well of him. | He

himself said,

only a beautiful hotel, but
a very functional oné too.
The
completely fireproof, it j is
the very best io

earthquake 21

that-I have ever been

sinvolyed in. Mr. Larusen

explained that. he - was
working for the firm of

Geeraert: and Newall:

lioldings: -Ltd., the
company ~ who .

constructing the new

Terrace Hotel, .In going |.
back to speak again on -

earthquake resistance,

which was fascinating to

“TE think:
jAugie has built up, not

building is

resisteney

is.

WEDNESDAY. AU

t

Richter Scale’. Ears:
about me perked up and IE
knew this meant f
something really great,
Chris ‘went. on to say, “A
period of ten months for §
completion of this job
was a real challenge. to
me, but we’ve made it.”

An And another thing I
liked working on this job
for was meeting the
friendly Terrace people,
having come from the:
City of Vancouver. | [
enjoyed these. people so |
much, and we tried to ff

‘Keep the job entirely §

local. My brother Ben
(seen with Chris ‘Laursen
in the picture above )-is
working side-by-side with
me on this project. H He
is in. charge of the
concrete placing crew.’ a

Mr, Lautsen “paid ff

jiribute to the foresight
~ Bthat’ had gone into this
[structure and said, “The |
abuilding: is -designed tof
ithstand -seven -on. the