The Birth of Bear's Eatery Part One

Written by JJ:

Here it is.....boxing day 2010.  We started this journey of Bear's Eatery about one year ago.  2010 was one of the worst and best years of our lives......but I must digress as this story actually starts back in June 2009 .

Bear & I went on a trip through the states to participate in a Cancer walk called "Relay for Life".  The walk was located in Soda Springs, Idaho.  Hometown to my BFF Toni.  Soda Springs is located in the SW corner of Idaho, so Bear & I decided to make a holiday out of it!!

On our first night we stayed in Livingstone, Montana.  We noticed an ad in the local paper for the "Pickle Barrell" open for breakfast.....we decided we would go there in the morning before we got back on the road.  The next morning we walked into the "Pickle Barrell" and the menu said pick your carb and then choose your meat.  Bear and I looked at each other in disgust.....I said "I saw a little cafe 3 doors down, lets try it".  The name of the cafe was "Pinky's"  He had hanging pink flamingo baskets outside instead of flowers.......I thought this was tacky but great!  Pinky's wasn't anything fancy, probably sat 25 people, but the coffee and food were delicious, so simple.  Pinky himself served us and his wife worked the kitchen.  They were originally from California and came this way on a holiday few years back.  They found Livingstone and moved shortly thereafter and opened Pinky's.  Pinky said they were just so sick of the rat race in LA and wanted something for "them".  Bear and I looked at each other and said........``this is what we need to do``!  (2 weeks ago Bear & I saw Pinky's on TV's Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations".....so Pinky must be doing pretty damn good!!!)

We got home from our trip at the beginning of July and life went on.  Bear & I both had good jobs and actually following our dream didn`t seem realistic in the near future.....probably 5 years out.....or so we thought.......Then the shit hit the fan.

On July 15, 2009 Bear was "restructured" out of his high paying job with a major Oil & Gas company in Calgary.  3rd time in our 12 year relationship that this has happened to him.

On August 11, 2009 Our brother-in-law Mark was diagnosed with terminal oesophagus cancer, it's his 51st birthday.

In November 2009 our beautiful daughter-in-law Jaclyn is put into medical induced coma fighting for her life from H1N1.  Our family is quarantined for 3 days.  We take care of our 5 month old grandson RJ for 3 weeks until she recovers.  It was a terrifying time.

In December 2009 we took a well deserved holiday to Florida.  My Sister Suza & hubby Brian live there.  My younger sister Special K & hubby Charlie flew down from Ontario.  We went on a 4 day cruise on the biggest ship on the Oceans ``Oasis of the Seas`` and then from there we went to Key West for 4 days.  Bear & I loved the cruise and we really loved Key West......but what we loved the most was Suza & B`s lifestyle.  We had to figure out a way to get to the warm south during our crappy Canadian winters.  I had just turned 50 the past September and I just got the overwhelming feeling that we had to follow our dream...... NOW...............that life was passing us by so fast!  I don`t want to get to our dream at 65 years old only to enjoy it for maybe 10 years......IF we`re lucky!!

We got home from Florida just before Christmas.  We spent Christmas with Bear`s sister Cheryl and her husband Mark.  Mark had deteroriated drastically in the last few months.  The Big Guy was 6`7`` and weighed over 250lbs when he was healthy he was now down to 155lbs or less, we knew in our heart of hearts that he would not be with us much longer.

During this time I was working for a major Hotel in Banff as their Sales Manager.  Like everything I do, I poured my heart into my job, working long hours and spending a lot of time away from home selling the hotel.  Our sales numbers were strong in 2009 considering the economy and the dreary results of other hotels in Banff.  When I received my sales bonus in 2009 they had cut it by 60% with no warning, no explanation.  When asked I was informed that I wasn`t doing my job.  This pretty much sent me over the edge.  Between Bear losing his job, Jaclyn almost losing her life and Mark on his deathbed this was the last thing I needed.   I was an emotional and mental wreck so I went on short term disability at the strong advice of my family Dr.

In January 2010 Mark`s condition worsened, and in February he was rushed to hospital in a jaundice condition.  Mark`s last wish was to get back their little house in Lynnwood so he could die there.  After one week in the hospital Mark was stable enough to come home.  They brought him by Ambulance and had to call for back-up; he was so tall, they need 2 more people to help.  I remember sitting in the back of the Ambulance with him waiting for the second one to get there.  The back doors were open, the sky was blue and the sun was shining.....it was a crisp beautiful day (Feb 19) he was just so happy to be home, he had the biggest smile on his face.  For 5 days he had 24 hour care from his amazing wife Cheryl, family & friends.  Bear & I had the overnight shift on Sunday, Feb 21, together we watched a Paul McCartney show that he had been waiting to show us for 7 years, we laughed, we cried.  At 3am that morning Mark took a turn for the worse and at 2:53pm on Tuesday, February 23 with all his family by his side, Mark passed away, he was just 51 years old.  Mark never got to follow his dreams.  It was a life changing experience for me and it affected Bear deeply as Mark really was his ``brother``.  Mark was an amazing person and I will never forget the lessons he taught me through his journey. 

It was really after our Florida trip that Bear & I started to seriously think about following our dream.  He was having a hard time finding another job and I knew his heart wasn`t in the IT world, his passion is cooking it always has been and he`s damn good at it.  With my sales and marketing skills and his cooking skills, something in the food industry seemed like a good fit.  We started looking around for something like Pinky's.

In March, I informed the hotel that I would be returning to work as I was feeling better.  Management informed me that they wanted to meet with me in Calgary to discuss..............I knew that they were going to let me go.  In the 3 years I was with them, management NEVER came to Calgary to support me in anything, so I knew something was up.  On March 17, the hotel let me go.  They decided to ``restructure`` the sales department and I wasn`t in their plans.  Even though I had my resignation letter in my back pocket because I had no intention of going back, they hurt me.  I really worked hard for the hotel, with no support, and it seemed so unjust to me.

In 2009 we purchased a cabin just 45 minutes SW of Fernie, BC.  When we decided to start following our dream we thought Fernie would be a great place to start since our cabin was so close.  One of the business`s that caught our eye was a Pizza place.....we put in an offer and waited.  The seller wanted more and we weren`t willing to give him more so we decided to look around at other opportunities.  Fernie didn`t have anything else that appealed to us, so we drove into Cranbrook one weekend.  Cranbrook didn`t grab us........it kinda felt like an Airdrie in the mountains, so we took a short 15 minute drive north to Kimberley.  As soon as we drove into Kimberley, we knew this was the place for us!

Our daughter Jess was travelling overseas during this time.  She left in November with her BFF Kelsey and they were having the trip of a lifetime, they were planning on staying at least until May, maybe even to August.  In April Kelsey`s Dad Allan went in for exploratory surgery on his Kidney and he died on the operating table.......the girls were on their back way home to Canada.....Allen was 52 years old.  He didn`t get a chance to follow his dreams.  This just re-enforced to us that you can`t delay your dreams.

The next weekend we came to Kimberley and looked a several commercial properties.  Some were really bad, some were just not for us, but then we walked into ``Mary`s Kitchen`` and we KNEW this was going to be our place.  So we put in an offer with conditions; the main one;  that our house in Calgary sell. We put our house up for sale in April and started packing.  We took several loads to our Cabin to store some weekends making 2 round trips.

On May 22 we rushed home from the cabin from one of those trips to Celebrate our Grandson's RJ's 1st birthday.  We just got home from the excitment of the day and my friend Lisa called us. I actually met Lisa through my very good friend Peter whom I worked with at Max Trax for 8 years, Lisa is Peter's girlfriend.  I picked up the phone "Hey Lisa Baby", Lisa's response; "I just found Peter dead at his place!!!"  Peter was 58, massive heart attack.  Peter never got a chance to follow his dream either.

After what seemed like several million showings the house finally sold!!  The new owners are to take possession on June 25th at 12 noon. YIPEE!  On June 25th at 11:45am the phone rings, its our Lawyer " the house isn't going to close today, their fianancing hasn`t been completed" I wanted to puke, are you kidding me???  I`ve never heard of this happening!!!  At this point we have everything either in storage or at the cabin. We`re now living in the cabin for the summer although not a bad thing, it is challenging as we have no internet, phone, power or flush toilets.  Not everyone could live like that for 3 months.  Bear & I would drive 20 minutes just past Baynes Lake to get to cell service. "Cell Phone Alley" we called it.  It is on that quite stretch of hot ashphalt just passed the discarded 2x4 that we wheeled and dealed with banks, realtors and lawyers to close our deal.

Since there was already not enough stress in our lives during this time, our neighbour at the cabin turns out to be fucking physco!  He assaulted Bear right on our own deck!  He was charged with assault and is `known` in the Valley by the RCMP.  They have since moved out of the country and all is good on the lake front again.....but......that is a whole other incredible story for another day.

3 weeks later the house finally closed.  This effected everything, such a piss off, the buyers really paid nothing in interest, the Realtors still make their commissions, lawyers and banks still get paid but we`re out three weeks of our time equating to thousands of dollars.  This puts us to the end of July, now that the house is closed everything at the bank should go smoothly, right......wrong.  First we started with Tyler.....he got promoted so we got passed to Cheryl........she went on holidays......the we got Ahmid.  Only after Barry sent the bank a `terse` email did they get the ball rolling.  On August 15 we closed Mary`s kitchen.  The house buyers and banks have now cost us 6 weeks of time.  On September 1, 2009 at 10:30AM we took possession of Mary`s kitchen.

On September 4, 2010 our oldest son Rob married his beautiful girl Jaclyn. Bear & I packed our bags and made a road trip to Calgary for the wedding.  Jaclyn's Dad, John, cancer stricken with oxygen tank by his side and the support of his loving family gatheres the strength to walk his beautiful daughter down the aisle, he is so proud. Just 2 months later on November 19, 2010 John lost his battle with Cancer.  John had just turned 50 this past July.  John never got a chance to follow his dreams.

So follow your dreams, don't be afraid.
It has now been 4 months of renovations, we`ve had some help along the way and we sure appreciate every ounce every person has contributed to our dream of opening Bear's Eatery.

As I write this on December 26, 2010 we`re not open yet, but I am optimistic that we`ll get all our inspections done in the next 7 days (Fire, Building, Food) Bear & I will complete the mandatory Food Safe course this week.......things are looking good to open January 17 or sooner. 

Please join our  Bear's Eatery Facebook Page to follow our progress and check out our website at http://www.bearseatery.com/

About Kimberley, BC

Bear’s Eatery is located just off Highway 95A, and centrally located in Kimberley, British Columbia.  Kimberley is a small mountain town of approximately 6,500 people nestled between the Purcell Mountains and the Rocky Mountain Trench in south eastern BC.  Kimberley is 32K north of Cranbrook with airline access via the Canadian Rockies International Airport.

This picturesque resort town attracts visitors for all seasons.  With a ski resort, several golf courses, casino and an international Airport all within close proximity.  Kimberley is mountain resort destination attracting a large transient winter and summer tourism population

Mission Statement

Bear’s Eatery prides itself on fresh quality ingredients; prompt, courteous service and great value.  We strive to create a fun and exciting place to work and support our community in every possible way while maintaining a healthy bottom line.