“Everybody should be in
The
The village, northeast of
People from all over travelled to the community after Cupid's strike but there was nowhere official to exchange their vows.
So, Mayor
“I want to turn the village into one that looks like a village of love,” Vallier says.
Through a lot of hard work, donations, fundraising and the generosity of current and former residents, that vision is becoming a reality.
While Love is looking to the future, it is intrinsically connected to the area's rich past.
The chapel building was an old
The benches, which can seat 50 people, were purchased from a church in
Vallier says the project cost more than
But Love wasn’t always focused on its name, says Torwalt.
The village had its genesis in the early 1930s as families searched for reprieve from the effects of the Great Depression farther south. Sawmills sprang up, bringing along homesteads and households eager for opportunity and affordable land.
The population would eventually peak at around 250 people, with two general stores, a hotel, pool bar, gas stations, insurance office and a couple of cafés.
The local lore has two origins of the village’s name. A young woman was employed in the kitchen at a mill and fell head over heels for one of the workers. A railroad employee spotted the couple and called the community Love Siding.
“They must have been the talk of the town that they were sweet on each other,” Vallier says with a laugh.
The other story, more likely to be true, is that when the railroad station was established, the first train conductor to come through was
Documents show the community was called Love Siding in the 1930s but officially became Love when it was incorporated in 1945.
As the lumbering industry in the area started to decline, people moved elsewhere and businesses closed for many decades.
But the love for Love always remained.
People with family connections to the area still help the village, whether it's to build the chapel or hold annual festivals in the campground.
The population has even started to increase in recent years and children once again run along the quiet streets.
“This is one of the only towns I know of that’s maintaining or growing a little bit,” Torwalt says.
“That takes dedication.”
Even with love as the core value, there are challenges in the way. The village recently learned it needs to replace the roof of its local hall at a cost of around
While there are some hurdles, the village will still go above and beyond to celebrate love.
In the local post office,
It’s a huge honour, she says, to play a little part in so many love stories.
“It’s so cool.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published
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