The IGS Group of Companies is pleased to announce that they will be hosting a special Centennial celebration on Friday, November 27th, 2009 to mark the 100th anniversary of the IGS Building located at 441-2nd Avenue in historic downtown Fernie, British Columbia.
Originally built as the Trites-Wood Co. Ltd building after the great fire of 1908, the store officially opened its doors for business late in November of 1909. At the time, the Trites-Wood Co. Ltd was hailed as the largest department store of its kind west of Winnipeg and the store was an important fixture of downtown Fernie.
One hundred years later, the building remains an important fixture of Fernie’s historic downtown core. Although the name has changed to the IGS Building, the building continues to house several local retailers providing a host of important products and services to Fernie residents as well as visitors to the community.
The Centennial celebration also marks the completion of several years of important restoration work to the building. “Our goal was to be back in our own building by the fall of 2009 in time for the centennial of the IGS Building,” states Ingrid Sombrowski, whose family owns the building. “We are pleased to announce that all of the 1950’s renovations have disappeared and the interior restoration has brought the space back to its historical 1909 look.”
The celebration will occur from Noon until 6:00 PM on Friday, November 27th, 2009. Special activities will include complimentary coffee and tea, an official cake cutting ceremony at 1:00 pm, as well as various live entertainers throughout the afternoon. The IGS Building will also be hosting a fundraiser for the Fernie Historical Society as part of the celebration. The Fernie Historical Society will be operating an outdoor BBQ and providing complimentary historical tours of the 2nd avenue block, including the new museum as well as one of Fernie’s last underground tunnels located in the basement of the IGS building.
Lastly, all of the IGS Building retailers, including IGS Value Drugmart, Fernie Home Hardware, Bear Necessities and Straight Line, will be offering sales specials and prize giveaways throughout the day.
