Although the fire that burned the Buckerfield’s store in Salmon Arm in March didn’t look too destructive, it was.
“From the outside of the building it didn’t look like much, but it was terrible inside, just terrible,” says manager Toni Walton. “Five minutes and we would have lost the building.”
The store was quickly up and running after the fire with the help of tents, but it’s “nowhere near back to normal,” said Walton on Aug. 7.
“We’re open for business as normal, we have everything in stock, and we’re in the process of renovating the whole store.”
She said the tills and pet food are inside with a fake wall behind them, which is blocking off the area being renovated.
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But the tents outside remain.
“Oh yeah, it’s still tent city.”
Walton is hopeful the renovations will be complete before the snow falls, probably sometime in the fall. With the wait will come essentially a brand new store.
“So we’re going to get a nicely renovated store and we’ll be bigger and better than ever.”
For feline lovers, Cindy the cat, who was once a fixture at the store, moved to the home of a friend and is now officially retired.
“She’s a homebody now,” laughs Walton. “She’s doing just fine.”
@SalmonArm
marthawickett@saobserver.net
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