Gray Creek store owner Tom Lymbery gears up to celebrate 100th anniversary

2013 marks the 100th anniversary of Gray Creek Store.

2013 marks the 100th anniversary of Gray Creek Store — established in 1913 by Arthur Lymbery as he lived closest to the sand beach where the sternwheelers dropped off mail and supplies. This store remains in the Lymbery family — it's most unusual for a rural store to survive and grow under one family's operation. However by legendary merchandising Gray Creek has been able to serve a wide area — for instance supplying chainsaws for boundary slashing between BC and Alaska (long before online sales). The year 2013 sees expansion into more building supplies and lumber — needed as more people find our fabulous lake.

Traditionally, General Stores carried an amazing variety of merchandise, but you will find that you can easily peruse for two hours in the two stories of this timber frame building — continuing to find unusual items, and tools and equipment that you may only have read about. The book department specializes in books on BC and Yukon history, stocking many that you can't find elsewhere. “Tom's Gray Creek, a Kootenay Lake Memoir” by Tom Lymbery is being printed in 2013.

Between 1931 and 1947 Gray Creek was the terminus of the Kootenay Lake ferry, when this was the only highway across BC. The largest ever sternwheeler SS Nasookin was the only sternwheeler in the world to carry a daily Greyhound bus, carefully balanced across the bow. In 2011, Malcolm Metcalf, grandson of Captain Malcolm MacKinnon, donated the 8½ foot diameter steering wheel of the ship to the Gray Creek Historical Society, expressing a wish that it be visible to the public. Take time to look at this intricate and beautiful wheel suspended from the store ceiling.

Gray Creek is the junction of the Trans Canada Trail and a seasonal gravel road over the Purcell Mountains to Kimberley. This appears to be a quick shortcut but is actually a slower scenic route over the 7000 foot Gray Creek Pass. Please take the time to walk the short distance in to Oliver Lake from the Oliver Lake Recreation site, just west of the summit. Store staff can give the current update on the road's condition.

June 29, 2013 will be a 100th anniversary celebration at Gray Creek Store with representatives from many of their suppliers of fireplaces, chimney and more on hand to tell you more about their products. Draws and door prizes will see winners of two woodstoves, a pellet stove and much more. Please stop and visit that Saturday of the holiday Weekend.