O Charlie Where Did You Go?

I went to a social on Saturday. If you are from Manitoba that statement makes perfect sense, if you are not it makes no sense. The social was in the Charleswood area of Winnipeg. The Charleswood Hotel has been a fixture in the area forever. The Charlie was the bar in the hotel. A typical neighbourhood bar. Many tales have been told and games have been watched in this place. It had just the right amount of sketchiness. Not too clean but not too dirty either. One of those places you like to go from time to time.

We made good time traveling to the social and were going to be a bit early so the logical decision was to swing by the Charlie for a quick one.

When we got to where the the hallowed building used to be it was replaced by a giant Co-op gas bar.

Is nothing sacred.

I don't know if they were making money. I don't know if the building was in any shape to be standing. These would be my normal arguments for progress but in this case a piece of me disappeared with that establishment.

Glitzy nightclubs come and go but a pub at the end of a street that everyone knows should remain. It's a place where everyone has a story. Its a place where you don't have to pretend. Its a place where people can go since that's where their father and their father's father before have all gone for a drink. It's a place that everyone knows how to get there and no one needs directions. Its a safe haven.

I know we must always look to move forward but sometimes the future will not have the tales that the past did, and that's too bad.