es 80th Anniversary TheReview Wednesday, July 29, 1992 — 23 Prairie Inn always Saanichion’s community gathering place ~ by Sherry McNeil The Review Some say it’s the food, the atmosphere, the home-brewed ale. Others come to shoot pool, share a chat, or watch sports on an after- noon lunch break. But without a doubt, everyone who visits Saani- chton’s Prairie Inn, loves the pub’s tradition. The olde fashioned charm of the pub dates back to the Peninsula’s pioneers. The nostalgic yellowed photos that adorn the walls, and © the gingerbread timmed building fag allude to its rich history: E The Prairie Inn has the cozy atmosphere of a neighborhood pub — B.C’s first neighborhood pub, talk they’d tell stories of neighbors that have gathered for decades. The original Prairie Inn, then called the Prairie Tavern, was built by Peninsula pioneer Henry Simp- son in 1859. Simpson mortgaged his 300-acre farm to John Schmidt for 83 pounds, 6 shillings and 8 pence so he could afford to build the small white tavern and a stable at the edge of his lot. Simpson ventured to Victoria from Kent, England in 1853. He and wife Adelaide worked for the "@- Hudson’s Bay Company for a few years before settling on Stream Farm in what is now Central Saanich. Throughout his life, Simpson was a respected farmer, baker, contractor, hotel owner, and ran a post office, general store, a hack and eventually a stage service to Victoria. It’s no wonder he is often referred to as the Peninsula’s first businessman, and an entrepreneur extraordinaire. The Prairie Inn that stands today was built in 1893, the same year the Victoria to Sidney railway, otherwise known as the Cordwood Limited, chugged past the tavern’s front door. : Although some articles specu- late that the original tavern or its ~ stable bummed down, others indi- cate that Simpson was simply rebuilding to accommodate the Cordwood’s passengers, out for a- Sunday ride. The building was constructed by S. Martin at a cost of $2,200. It included three suites and four rooms upstairs, not for Simpson’s 14 children (three of whom died young), but for weary travelers eager for a meal and a bed. The rooms lead onto a large veranda, sporting views across the Penin- sula. These rooms are still in use today, housing the building’s caret- aker as well as the Prairie Inn’s offices. The Inn wasn’t the only legacy Simpson left behind. Also cele- @ brating its centennial birthday next year is the heritage big cone pine outside the pub, planted by Simp- son the year the tavern was rebuilt. Throughout its 99 years, the Prairie Inn has changed hands and functions several times. It’s been a restaurant, an inn, a tavern and a grocery store. It’s been updated, renovated, redecorated and restored. But none of the Inn’s owners dared destroy the building’s heri- tage. Simpson sold the tavem to Mr and Mrs. John Camp near the tum of the century to get into a meat packing business in Seattle. A few short years later, Henry Simpson died at the age of 74. More recently, the pub has TED ANDERSON belonged to Gavin and Bev Har- per, two prairie natives who pur- chased the heritage building in 1968. The Harpers spent over $2,000 in the first three months of ownership, restoring the building back to its original beauty. Gavin, a carpenter, discovered a hidden room, sealed off for years. He reinstalled a door using the same hand-forged square nails used in 1893. It was under their ownership that the name was changed from the Prairie Tavern to the Prairie Inn — likely to comply with new liquor regulations. Liquor regulations sparked another change for the Inn. The Prairie Inn reopened on Boxing Day, 1974, as B.C.’s first desig- nated neighborhood pub. Despite the fact that the Harpers hadn’t advertised the opening, about 200 people showed up. The new provincial title only confirmed what residents had known for years — the Prairie Inn was an important gathering place for the Saanichton community. After nine years of running the pub, the Harpers wanted to change businesses and put the Inn up for sale. Although they were asking $500,000, they accepted $375,000 from Victorians Dave and Wayne Duncan. The Duncans began their term on New Year’s Day of 1977. Dave Duncan had been a service station operator and furnace oil salesman in Victoria, but had always wanted to own a pub. The Duncans added one of the most notable changes in the pub’s history. In August of 1983, the Prairie Inn became Vancouver Island’s only brewery. The Dun- cans sold their brew in the pub. Present owners, Ted and Faye Anderson, bought the Inn when the Duncans retired in 1985. As a manager for hotels in receivership, Anderson saw the Prairie Inn as a chance to finally settle down after years of roaming the province from city to city, contract to contract. He moved his family out to Victoria in 1982, and three years later jumped at the chance for a new challenge — The Prairie Inn. Since that day, Anderson says the pub has changed 100 per cent. “My forte has always been food,”’ says Anderson. And that was the first thing to change. first of such systems in Canada. Ste “The food here before was o Ea mediocre. It was cooked by cock- l fy Ns _ tail waitresses and was chili and : al 5) = Zi Ry 2 Ly SS soup out of a can.” ‘ sy ‘N REAL FOODS STORE i All the food at the Inn is now \ ( ( 5 Zo : HEL (f cooked by Faye or under her ee Se S U mimer direction, using her own recipes, generations old, from the Prairies. She also keeps the pub’s books — making long days for both her and her husband. But it’s a labor of love. The two work side by side seven days a week, 12 hours a day. “Last year was the first year we took a holiday,” Ted says. The Andersons have also replaced everything inside the Inn, from the carpets to a new bar, kitchen, pool tables, dart boards and a sundeck. The cottage brewery received its share of changes. The Andersons brought in the world’s third best brewmaster to train their brewers. Time Specials sai Geeds ee is Sue Raisins Bae, A\imonds gy wail Mis ee Nuts oo MX ccencoonsesens® ib 2) es four years of extensive “hassle and But as new and radical as those government red tape” the Prairie changes may seem, the Andersons Inn opened its brand new beer and have gone one step further. After Condinase on Page31 eee The brewery no longer uses concentrate and now makes an Olde Tavern Ale, an English gold and a fruit lager using fruit grown on the Peninsula. It is one of four elite steam breweries in North America. Steam brewing is an old fashioned way of making beer, identified by a distinct hops flavor. Also unique to the Prairie Inn cottage brewery is the unde- rground refrigerated beer link direct to the taps in the pub — a 4 Sp mn Pe anut Butter ee Silica Gel Derived from Quariz crystals is a “colloidal” preparation — absorbed faster and more completely. BRENTWOOD BAY — OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 060 W. 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