VILNA – It isn’t every day that one can go for a haircut and enjoy a game of pool at the same locale.
But those who stop by the historic Vilna Pool Hall and Barbershop, situated on Main Street of the agricultural community’s downtown area can do just that.
Carol Trider, the vice president of the Friends of the Vilna Pool Hall Society, said the establishment is Alberta’s oldest original pool hall, and is one of the original wooden boomtown buildings in the village, located just off Highway 28.
“It was designated as a historical resource by the province of Alberta and bears a plaque to signify this,” Trider told Lakeland This Week.
Currently, the pool hall is open on Saturdays and for special events. The board of volunteers that oversees the historic establishment also rents out the space for birthdays and retirements.
During the summer months on Saturdays from May long weekend until the Labour Day weekend, the society barbecues and sells hamburgers in front of the pool hall.
“This is done by volunteer board members and is well received,” she said.
People who come to the Vilna Pool Hall and Barbershop will meet the onsite barber, Josh Prutchick, who is typically at the shop on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is quite busy cutting hair and doing hot shaves for customers.
The Vilna Pool Hall itself was built in 1921 by Steve Pawluk.
“The pool hall had a barbershop in the front of the building and this same shop is still being utilized today with the old antique barber's chair and vintage hair cutting paraphernalia,” she said, adding that the centre of the building has two antique billiard tables and two 12-foot snooker tables.
Trider spoke about the history of many of the vintage items on display inside the century-old building, including the pool tables, which date back to the late 19th century and remain in their original state. The old Booker coal stove, she said, is still in its original location, as are several vintage signs advertising cigarettes, soft drinks, and other things.
“Many of the customers that walk through are doors are amazed at how it is like stepping back in time,” she said.
According to Trider, when Bill and Lily Taschuck, the last owners of the pool hall, wanted to retire, a group of locals banded together in 1997 to form a society, and purchased the business.
With grants from the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation, along with plenty of fundraising, the society was able to begin the process of restoring areas of the building.
A new cedar shake roof was installed while the foundation was replaced. A new furnace was also installed and some of the old electrical wires were also replaced.
Additionally, the living quarters in the back of the pool was also given a makeover. According to Trider, the society replicated the old living quarters that were torn down many years ago.
“We built it a little bit at a time as we had funding. We have had many members of the community and board members donate antique furniture and items that represent the era . . . including a beautiful old wood burning stove,” she said.
Any visible replacement of the building had to be replaced with authentic material, without changing the historical significance of the building. A new store front, she said, was replaced due to the many times it had accidentally been driven into.
In 2005, restoration of the building was complete, and a grand re-opening was held to celebrate.
The pool hall, barbershop and living quarters, she said, are considered a living museum by the Alberta Historical Society.
When asked how long-standing establishment is significant to the community, Trider said people that grew up in the village and surrounding areas love to come back to play pool and reminisce about the past.
“The pool hall has always been a popular place, and many stories have been told about students sneaking out of school to play pool and running out the back door when the principal came looking for them,” she said.
