The building has sadly sat empty for many years and now there is an effort to research its rejuvenation. Once the centre of Cranbrook's arts and culture activities, the popular Armond Theatre—complete with a spacious balcony—was split into two smaller theatres by its previous owners before being abruptly closed several years ago. At one point there was talk of transforming the vacant building into a nightclub but the effort ran into zoning problems and never got off the ground.

The memo from the Cranbrook Downtown Business Association states,

"Are there any interested parties who would like to be part of ‘The Committee to Restore the Armond Theatre’?  Initial research is underway. In order to proceed and take the project further, the committee is looking for committed individuals with a passion for the downtown and a willingness to participate in the work that will need to be done. Interested individuals can phone Jenny Humphrey for more information as to what has been accomplished so far: 250-426-8739."

The store offers an eclectic mix of home decorating items, furnishing and furniture, lamps, chairs and even a great selection of artisan breads from the Loaf Bakery in Fernie.

When I visited the General Store, owner Laurie Goodlad was away on a buying trip and is returning with even more home decor items to capture the fancy of the buying public.

So if you are looking for a unique home decor shopping experience, you might want to check out Muriel & Jane's General Store—a store even your grandmother would be proud of.

The store is open six days a week and is located across from City Hall in Cranbrook.

The Deputy Minister’s Contractor of the Year Awards recognize construction and maintenance companies demonstrating excellence in the categories of grading, paving, bridges and structures, and highway maintenance work throughout the province. The ninth annual awards were hosted by the B.C. Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association on Dec. 2 in Victoria.

The award runners-up in the paving category were Peters Bros. Construction Ltd. of Penticton for work on Highway 2, along with other South Peace paving projects, and Columbia Bitulithic of Coquitlam, for work on the Highway 13, 0 Avenue to 56 Avenue Project.

“This award is well-deserved and highlights the outstanding work Interoute Construction has done to improve Highway 3. The work that was done will make travel along this important corridor safer for residents, tourists, the forest industry and commercial transport vehicles,” said minister of transportation and infrastructure, Blair Lekstrom. “Congratulations to all our finalists for their work to improve and maintain B.C.’s roads, highways and bridges.”

Special guest speakers John and Debbie Mandryk (pictured above) proved to be popular as they addressed the many benefits of adults keeping active in an engaging and interactive session.

The Mandryks also are involved in promoting the Rails to Trails bike and walking path between Cranbrook and Kimberley, which they and a number of volunteers promoted through an informative display booth.

Kootenay Business would like to thank everyone who attended the event, the guest speakers and the many participating sponsors.

For the first time in history the icon Kokanee Beer will be produced somewhere else other than in Creston.  Though the majority of Kokanee production will remain in Creston, new certification of a Labatt's brewery in Edmonton will see Kokanee beer being brewed in Alberta's capital city.

Creston's Columbia Brewery also produces Alexander Keith's, Keith's Red, Busch and Brava beers—all part of the Labatt's ever-growing portfolio of beers.

Columbia Brewery officials told the paper, "While there is an obvious local attachment to the Kokanee brand...we continue to be committed to getting additional brands at the Columbia Brewery to help outset the impact of normal seasonality."

A reduction in shipping costs was also cited as another reason to see Kokanee beer produced in Edmonton.