Hope firefighters and guests are all okay. Thanks once again Firefighters.

Clean up on isle 3

This is great news for the downtown IMO. Hopefully it got the generator as well... both businesses did a disservice to the downtown and with no real competition they never bothered with renovations in like 40 years. Good riddance IMO.

Well my first concern is everyone's safety. I hope everyone is ok & there are no injuries. I'm choked that this puts more people out of work in Prince George. It's bad enough the employees of the Columbus are out of work, it's also the other employees in the surrounding businesses. I really hope they re-build and get these people back to work as quickly as possible.

Eagleone do tell with all your infinite wisdom what dis-service did the Columbus do??

I heard that recently there was a sweep of inspections on liquor establishments and the Generator was the only one to pass and stay open.
now where will people go for drinking and dancing?

Eagleone - good riddance - to who? Those who are now homeless, or perhaps feared dead?

"This is great news for the downtown IMO. Hopefully it got the generator as well... both businesses did a disservice to the downtown and with no real competition they never bothered with renovations in like 40 years. Good riddance IMO."

The Generator just finished doing over $50,000 in renovations after being closed for over a year. It was, and hopefully still is, one of the best clubs in town. Get your facts straight before you open your mouth. It'll save you from looking like an idiot.

Thank you once again Singlemom!!

LOL at Matt!! I think it is too late for some looking like idiots!!

Well u can tell eagleone was a columbus virgin, if u weren't than u would realise that they are good people who just lost thier jobs,a very dear friend, and many memories along with it...and as for renos being done if that was the case than "the Bus" would not be considered a landmark.

Before go talking about renos Eagleone (GET OR FACTS RIGHT). City turned them down so may times in the pasted they give up.

Eagleone you just like tank you need a kick to the nuts too .

I agree with you all that my previous comment was a stupid knee jerk statement I made. I thought at the time everyone was all clear. Sometimes I write without fully engaging the brain and that was one of those times.

I actually liked the Bus facade on the front. The rest of the place was run down though. It did have character to a point. I remember drinking there on Wednesday nights back in the day and the place was really laid back and usually a fun place to have a few drinks. I remember one time during the bike drags one guy even brought his bike into the bar and let'er rip with a big smoke show that cleared the place out... that was something you don't experience anywhere else.

On the bad side there are far worse locations in town, like John Majors casino, (for vice), or the Croft and Joe's for run down buildings attracting the kind of clientèle that drives people out of the downtown. One has to admit the sign at the door of the Bus stating policy on knives and such conveyed an image... and that image wasn't the safe downtown image. If you think I need a kick in the nuts for pointing that out, then we will have some issues.

IMO I've been to other towns and I've seen other men's clubs, and other night clubs and I have to say the Bus and Generator are two of the worst I've seen anywhere for style or class. PG is a captive crowd, which is the only reason either were or are still in business. Neither one of them promote protecting patrons of their establishments much less the public from the environment of violence that they both promoted from my perspective.

Maybe the city could move on and refocus the downtown to a more classy type of entertainment district where violence isn't the norm of the culture promoted by its establishments. Hopefully the owners of the Bus had insurance and they can participate in this rebuilding, but doing it in a way that looks forward and not to some aspects of their past.

OK maybe I do need a kick in the nuts, but now its said, I'll be the bad guy here.

The Bus was not a classy place for a reason,people didn't care what u wore or what u looked like,they welcomed u no matter what,it was a place of respect (which alot of people nowadays tend to lack)it wasn't about fitting in,it was about being accepted for who you were and meeting friends from all walks of life!! It didn't matter if u had a money or if u were wearing the latest fashion,it was just about being there with ur friends sharing good times!! As far as the sign at the door and behind the bar, u said "conveyed a image",damn rights it did,it was simply stating that The Bus and it's patrons would not tolerate any such stupid behavior,(ie;stabbings,shootings u know the violence that happens every day)
The Bus was just willing to put it out there when no else would, they are just basically telling you that they would not condone that type of behavior, so leave it at the door. Tell me, eagleone in the few times that u have been to The Bus, how many fights have u seen, compared to a night at one of the other establishments.
In the 12yrs, I have been a patron there I have seen 2,so I would rather sit at The Bus feel safe,than drink elsewhere and I am constantly looking over my shoulder.It may not be much on the outside,but it was much more on the inside. So maybe next time,don't judge a book by it's cover, try reading it first and u might just find a whole new story.

The Bus was not a classy place for a reason, people didn't care what u wore or what u looked like,they welcomed u no matter what,it was a place of respect (which alot of people nowadays tend to lack)it wasn't about fitting in,it was about being accepted for who you were and meeting friends from all walks of life!! It didn't matter if u had any money or if u were wearing the latest fashion,it was just about being there with ur friends sharing good times!! As far as the sign at the door and behind the bar, u said "conveyed a image",damn rights it did,it was simply stating that The Bus and it's patrons would not tolerate any such stupid behavior,(ie;stabbings,shootings u know the violence that happens every day)
The Bus was just willing to put it out there when no else would, they are just basically telling you that they would not condone that type of behavior, so leave it at the door. Tell me, eagleone in the few times that u have been to The Bus, how many fights have u seen, compared to a night at one of the other establishments.
In the 12yrs, I have been a patron there I have seen 2,so I would rather sit at The Bus feel safe,than drink elsewhere and I am constantly looking over my shoulder.It may not be much on the outside,but it was much more on the inside. So maybe next time,don't judge a book by it's cover, try reading it first and u might just find a whole new story.

LOL@ 2 fights in 12 years at the columbus. I have been in atleast 10 myself there in 2 years so i think your numbers are a bit off there leather and lace. I remember one time sitting in there when a huge brawl broke out like 15 people fighting with pool cues and bottles. This was last year sometime.

Leather, I'll admit I've never seen a fight in the Bus and I've probably been there at least 50 times, but not in many years... (mostly because I don't drink much anymore).

I was talking about the image the Bus/Generator conveyed and not what actually happened in the Bus. If we're talking about downtown revitalization, then the image conveyed is an important consideration.

Leather said, "So maybe next time,don't judge a book by it's cover, try reading it first and u might just find a whole new story."

That's my point exactly... what was so important about the cover when it hides what could be a great book? A cover to scare the yuppi's away is hard to target to only the yuppi's.

That said by far and away the Generator and Joe's are the legends for fights. The life of the Generator has probably seen ten thousand fights easy, and Joe's maybe a few thousand or more. Probably 80% of them were justified too... which kind of says a lot. Those places attract the out of town tough guy that wants to measure up. Depending on how much you drink anything could happen (especially when you don't watch your mouth). I've been in a few minor rumbles myself, but I don't like to gamble much anymore. As people get older they like to gamble like that less I think. And I'll admit I was part of the problem creating that image in my time, but I figure all my situations were motivated by virtue and not to take advantage of someone.

Rambling on about downtown fighting its the ones that lack virtue and respect in their motivations that feed the bad name IMO. Unfortunately the bad name guys seem to be the ones growing in numbers.

With all the nasty stuff (pointing out common knowledge)just about said it wouldn't be right if I didn't also give my condolences to people like Leather that lost their community in this fire. For them I realize the idea of downtown revitalization isn't appropriate... so I've said now about all I'm going to say on the subject.

Willy,I didn't say that it was a fact,I said that was what I saw when I was there,big difference, my point was it was a good place to meet new people without having to worry if my jacket or purse would be stolen.It was a place that really took care of it's patrons, making sure they got home safe,refusing to serve over the limit to people who were riding,no other bar would do that.We can sit here,argue back and forth till we r blue in the face u have one view of it and I have mine.Bottom Line is we lost a good friend in that fire,people were hurt,homes were lost,my best friends lost thier jobs,and all ur doing is bad mouthing the situation which makes u sound really cold hearted along with a few others. I have a lot of good memories in that bar and it is sad that I would never see that place again,it wouldn't hurt to show a little compassion to all those who were affected by this trajedy.

Yes,I know Willy,spelled tragedy wrong again, never said I was perfect,Lol!!