Disappointed

Letter to the Editor,
Recently we were at Lake of the Woods on vacation and I ventured into town one day.
What a disappointment to see the main street of the town where I grew up. On the West of side of Main Street (4th Street) I discovered that there were more empty buildings between Broadway Avenue and Atwood Avenue than there were full.
The old liquor store (yes I am dating myself) empty, Ozie’s Restaurant was empty, Petruik’s house is lived in, my Father’s former building (J.K. McQuarrie Insurance) was empty, the Gaiety Theatre has fallen down and the Victoria Cafe is no longer occupied. I believe there is someone in Atkin’s house and the Legion is there.
Do the owner’s of these empty buildings not have to keep them up? or will they just be allowed to eventually fall down?
I have fond and happy memories of Rainy River, we travel there every summer and this year I was really disappointed. I remember a time when Pearl and Alan MacKay lived there and Alan had a hand in planting flowers on the street, etc.
I don’t know how the townsfolk or Rainy River Council can encourage these absentee landlords to look after their buildings. But it sure doesn’t help them to encourage businesses to move there when the main street is in such a state.
Sincerely,
Sandra (McQuarrie) Beyak