Name/Title
Terrace Hotel, Casey BraamEntry/Object ID
2005.11.01Description
Painting of the Terrace Hotel by Casey Braam.
History: Casey had been to the Terrace Co-op one evening and as he had one picture left on his film, he took a picture of the hotel from the Co-op parking lot, then took the film to the Drug Store and left his film to be developed.
The next day, he learned that the Terrace Hotel had had a major fire. When he picked up his film, there was the picture of the hotel and from it he painted his painting.
The picture hung in a local bank for some time and Augie had thought about purchasing it. Bill McRae also noticed the picture and thought it would be a good gift for the Geeraert's as the hotel was being rebuilt, so he gave the bank a cheque and asked them to hold the painting and say nothing about it. A few days later Augie came into the bank and said he would buy the painting but was told it had been sold. He was upset but thought he would have Casey do another for him. Casey was in a spot as Bill had told him what he had done about the painting.
Much to the surprise of the Geerhaert's, it was finally presented to them when the rebuilt hotel as opened in 1972.
When they sold the Hotel they took the painting with them, but as they have now moved away and are trying to downsize their possessions, they wish to donate the Terrace Hotel painting to the Heritage Park Museum.
-August 2005.
THE TERRACE HOTEL ON KALUM STREET
This hotel was originally built by Mr JK Gordon in 1913, Mr Gordon and Mr Little became friends during the gold rush in Klondike, before they came to Terrace.
Since that time, other people owned the hotel as well. When Mr Geeraert owned it in 1971 it was destroyed by a big fire, I took a picture of the Hotel on August 4, 1971, when I came out of the Co-op feed store, took the film roll to the Drug store, as it had to go to Vancouver for development in those days.
Next morning August 5, 1971, on my way to work in the sawmill, the streets were full of fire-hoses around the Kalum street. And the Hotel was gone.
About a week later I received my pictures in the drugstore, and it had turned out very well, my mind was made up I was going to make a big oil painting, when the painting was finished it went to the Toronto Dominion Bank it was there on display and also had a price tag on it.
The following day I received a phone call from Mr Bill McRae, and told me that he had bought it and that I was keeping that under my cap. No body was to know about it. That was trouble for me because Mr Geeraert also phoned me that he wanted the painting very badly. I could say nothing, and this went on a bit, but McRae had told me that it was going to land up in his hands anyways.
When the new hotel had its opening celebration, Mr Geehaert received it as an opening gift, and it hang in one of the rooms for years, when the Hotel was sold, the family took it with them to Hazelton.
And is now back in terrace, donated to the Museum Society. Thank you very much. The painting is now 34 years old and back in Terrace.
-CASEY BRAAMAcquisition
Accession
2005.11Source or Donor
August Geeraert, Lenora GeeraertAcquisition Method
GiftCreated By
Meghan LeschertCreate Date
February 17, 2009Updated By
Anna GlassUpdate Date
January 14, 2020