Last week was one of mixed emotions for this reporter.
On the morning of Monday, Nov. 22, I received a text from my mom about a fire in Palmerston.
Based on the geography of where our reporters, as well as those from our sister publication, the Wellington Advertiser, were that morning, I was the closest one to the scene so I grabbed my camera and drove over.
The fire was at a vacant building on Norman Street, and what a fire it was.
Multiple fire departments, two aerial trucks, and smoke like I have never seen at a fire.
I have been to dozens of fires in my career, and this one hit harder than most due to the personal connection I had to the building.
The building was owned by my family for decades, until 10 years ago or so. It was the home of the Palmerston Creamery from the early 1900s until 1989, when my grandpa, Russell, and my dad, Dave, sold the business. From 1992 to 2005, it was the home of Wilson Building Supply, the business owned and operated by my dad.
When I showed up at the scene and needed to get some photos, I was more than familiar with the territory.
Using the holes in the wooden fence at the back of the property, I was able to get some shots of the rear of the building. I was also able to get some shots of the north end of the property using my “local knowledge” of how to get there without getting in harm’s way.
While I was at the fire, I didn’t experience any of the emotions that I would experience in the days after. At the time, I was more concerned about getting some good photos and gathering as much information as I could.
That night, I stopped by my Mom and Dad’s house to take my dogs for a visit and shoot the breeze about the fire.
In recent years, the building had fallen into disrepair and was, in my opinion, an eyesore. At the time, I figured it was the best thing that could have happened to the building – it would be knocked down, the lot cleared and eventually sold and developed.
My Dad, however, didn’t share that sentiment.
“I worked in that building for over 35 years… a lot of good memories in there.”
We began to share stories, and as we talked about those memories, I began to share Dad’s point of view.
As a youngster, I spent many days at that building with my Grandpa after he retired. Grandpa would find a project or two that needed to be done around the building, solicit my help to get it done, and off we would go. As I got older and Dad had the hardware store, I spent many hours working there, be it piling lumber, stocking shelves or learning how to mix paint.
When Dad decided he wanted to fence in the lumber yard, I was tasked with finding a friend to help me build the wooden structure. That was about 20 years ago.
It’s the same fence that stands today, holes and all.
The more I’ve thought about it over the last week or so, the more I’ve come to realize that buildings are more than just an inanimate object. They are reminders of times past.
Sure, the building had seen better days. But the memories of the people and events that took place there remain the same.
And the last memory I will have of that building is of the fire. It signified the end of an era on Norman Street in Palmerston.
My Dad, however, tells me it is not the best fire Norman Street has ever seen.
“That title belongs to the fire that destroyed Watt’s Mill,” he said.
It’s a heck of a story, and one we’ll have to tell another day.
***
Mike Wilson is the editor of the Listowel Banner. Comments and feedback can be sent to mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com.
