You could always find old loggers, coal miners and pool sharks at the ready in the heart of the old King George Hotel if you were to take a gander down Dunsmuir between Second and Third Streets. But this family-run establishment which played a critical role in the history of Cumberland has been forced to shut its doors, leaving plenty of fond memories behind.
"It brings tears to my eyes it really does," said Dee Burns, an ex-employee who spent about 15 years of her life serving and bartending at the watering hole. "It's the end of an era."
Last week, the province officially shut the bar down and the word spread around town quickly. Officials confirmed the owners owed thousands of dollars in tax, although there is an opportunity for the business to pay that debt in a set amount of time.
The building has been listed with Dale McCartney of Royal LePage for $429,000.
Burns says she will always remember the unique energy of the place that kept Cumberland's social scene pumping.
"It was iconic," she said. "It was pretty near and dear to my heart."
Part of her job was to play pool with older gentlemen who would come in for a drink.
"It was all rough and tumble but so were the other bars at the time," she said. "You just never knew when something would transpire."
While the rabblerousing dynamic has been muted somewhat with the changing demographics of the community, many Cumberlanders still feel close to the business.
The hotel opened in 1911, although it was rebuilt after the big Cumberland fire that knocked out half the downtown area - a fire supposedly started by the late first owner's widow.
The Brown family purchased the building in 1971, endearing itself to the local community through its support of community functions such as Empire Days throughout the years.
Mayor Leslie Baird says the King George was the place she used to go as part of a softball league.
"We used to go there every night after a ball game and sit and drink," she said, tipping her hat to the Browns. "They were wonderful."
Baird remembers the many sandwiches and other items that were offered to the pipe bands during Empire Days festivities.
"The pipe bands were always welcome there," she said. "They actually fed them during the day."
In recent years the Brown's daughter, Julie Gibson, has operated the business, although it is no longer a hotel that rents rooms.
In an interview with the Echo, owner Gibson explained she didn't want to comment on the possibility of reopening, noting options are still being discussed.
"It's a sad thing," she said of the closure. "That's where I grew up."
