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Legacy

The impact that two individuals had on Terrace is the meaning of community

When individuals use equal parts of vision, determination and even stubbornness mixed with arm-twisting, good things can happen.

Such was the case with Mamie Kerby and Ed Curell.

Kerby, who passed away Feb. 25, was at the forefront (with the able assistance of husband Fred) of the founding of a society in 1983 which resulted in Heritage Park Museum, the collection of log buildings gathered from around the area.

In addition to the buildings, Kerby sought to preserve artifacts, documents and photographs, providing a foundation for understanding the history of the area.

Down the hill from Heritage Park, and occupying one corner of George Little Park, is the Terrace Public Library, the working home, until he retired in 2008 after 29 years, of Ed Curell who passed away a week after Kerby. Constructed as a Canadian centennial project, Curell helped guide an expansion in 1995, firmly establishing the library as a place of reading, learning and enjoyment.

An innovator when it came to the introduction of computers, video, CDs and DVDs, Curell expanded the library’s client base.

It’s easy to use – and overuse – the word legacy, but it’s a fitting description for the accomplishments of Kerby and Curell. As the area moves toward an uncertain future, what Kerby and Curell leave behind is comforting and solid, the very fabric that makes up a community.