While cataloguing the Griffith Collection (a collection of roughly 50,000 images donated by photographer Greg Griffith), our assistant archivist Stephanie recently came across slides of a fire at The Keg building that we had previously only seen in black and white.
The first Keg in the Whistler Valley opened at Adventures West on Alta Lake in 1974, but when construction of Whistler Village began in 1979 plans were made to open a new Keg restaurant in the Whistler Village Inn.
When the first Keg building was moved up Lorimer Rd. to become the new municipal hall in 1981, the new Keg building was still under construction. The hotel and restaurant were expected to open by the end of January 1982, in time for the World Cup, and by the beginning of January restaurant staff had already been hired.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1982, a fire broke out in the building, caused by a leaking propane tank. The fire started in the restaurant section, spread upwards into the roof and, aided by strong winds, spread across the entire building.
The Whistler Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD) worked well into the night. According to the Whistler Question, they poured almost 400 litres of water on the building over seven hours. Luckily there were no injuries from the fire, but one firefighter was taken to hospital with chest pains and several others were treated for smoke inhalation.
The next week the WVFD sent a lot of roses into the Whistler Question's "Bricks & Roses" section to thank those who had helped. The Whistler and Pemberton ambulance crews were present all night, Dr. Christine Rodgers spent the night on call, Terry Rodgers manned the radio, Carol Simmie, Kathy Hicks and Katie Rodgers helped coordinate the effort, and the RCMP provided crowd control. Members of the Surrey Fire Department and Squamish Fire Department who were in Whistler also came out.
As it was January, dry clothing and hot food were greatly appreciated in the -20 C weather. The Grocery Store opened late to provide food supplies, the Alta Lake Community Club, Stoney's, the Brass Rail, Tapley's and The Gourmet all brought coffee and food, and the Blackcomb Lodge offered the use of their dryers.
The fire was contained to the top floor of the hotel section, and most of the building was considered structurally sound on the lower levels, with some damage from water and smoke. The damage was estimated at $2.5 million.
By mid-February demolition work had already begun. Smith Brothers & Wilson Construction Ltd. got to work repairing and reconstructing the restaurant and hotel. Because the Whistler VIllage Inn was designed in two separate buildings, they were able to open 44 rooms in 1982, but the hotel was missing amenities such as a pool, restaurant, and permanent lobby.
January 1983 was a busy month, as finishing touches were put on the restaurant and more than 100 staff were hired from more than 500 applicants.
The Keg was finally able to open on Friday, Feb. 4, with some familiar faces. Herb Capozzi, founder of The Keg restaurant chain, was one of the first to be served, and some staff members from The Keg at Adventures West came back, such as Scott Paxton. Over the first three evenings, the restaurant served more than 900 meals.
Though the Whistler Village has expanded and prices may have changed (in 1983 an 8-oz sirloin would cost you $8.95 and highballs at Brandy's were $1.85), The Keg and Brandy's continue to operate in the space opened in 1983.
