Local musician’s home destroyed

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com

An Edgewater man has lost a life’s worth of memories and music after a house fire on July 21.

Edgewater resident Barry Moore is one of the most well-known musicians in the Columbia Valley, and has been involved with too many melodious endeavours to count.

Around mid-day Moore’s house caught fire and although members of the Edgewater, Radium, Windermere, and Invermere fire departments arrived on scene to battle the blaze, the flames consumed most of the house.

Fellow Edgewater resident Hank Vanderland told the Pioneer the fire started around 11:30 a.m. and a few hours later the house had essentially burned to the ground.

“I saw the flames and ran over,” said Vanderland, who shared dramatic photos of the blaze with the Pioneer

Although nobody was hurt, the loss of the house is a big deal for Edgewater.

“It’s a major event. His house — it’s a historical place . . . all of Barry’s music, his compositions, his two grand pianos . . . it’s all gone,” said Vanderland. “Barry is in shock.”

Columbia Valley Rural Fire and Rescue assistant fire chief Joss Advocaat said