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LETTERS: A hearty toast to a public house

Editor: Although it has been years since I have been a regular at the Sandpiper Pub, I once was and it meant something.
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Days before the Sept. 15 closure of White Rock’s Sandpiper Pub

Editor:

Although it has been years since I have been a regular at the Sandpiper Pub (Last call, Aug. 24), I once was and it meant something.

Around town, I have heard an array of sentiments – from naysayers’ “Thank goodness; it’s about time” to shocked “What am I going to do? I’ve been going there for years.”

Suffice to say, an array of reactions.

When I heard that they had sold and were closing, the memories started flooding in. One last dance, I told my girlfriends, was in order. An evening to honour those memories and mark the ending of an era. So we did. The last Saturday it was open, Sept. 10.

I particularly feel an intense gratitude for the role it played in my own life, and a corresponding sadness that goes with that. Just like the television series Cheers, the Sandpiper provided a meeting place and will be missed because of the human factor.

Examples I can think of off the top of my head: I was introduced to my husband there; I witnessed a marriage proposal with another couple who had also met there and are upstanding members of our business community; I met very fine people there, professionals from all walks of life, including my dear late friend, former councillor Larry Robinson; I held a fundraiser there to facilitate a missions trip to Romania to assist human-trafficking victims; various people’s ‘celebration of life’ events were held there, including another good friend, Norm Morrison; a faction of Brits used to meet there regularly for their after-work pints; the cute Filipino couple had their date night there regularly and would sing their favourite karaoke tunes; a lovely non-drinking business man would dance up a storm there every week as his outlet and social connection…

Really, I could go on and on.

I write this ode because it was important to me that the ending of this era did not happen without a proper acknowledgment of its significance. Many good people met many good people and had really good times there.

And, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

Thank you, the Sandpiper, for the place you provided and the memories that will linger in our minds for years to come.

Jennifer Hammersmark, White Rock