by Andru McCracken


Brent Beallie has got the go ahead from his insurers to rebuild the Tete Jaune store and his home of 18 years. /ANDRU MCCRACKEN

Brent Beallie is hoping to rebuild and open his store.

Beallie’s dreams of reopening a convenience store in Tete Jaune were dashed when the place burned down on August 6th last year.

Now, after an extended tussle with the insurance company, he has been approved to rebuild the building.

When it comes to insurance, Beallie’s experience may provide a lesson for other people.

He was renting out a travel trailer on a corner of the property as an AirBNB, and it looked like that fact might nullify his claim. Fortunately for Beallie, this travel trailer was separately insured by ICBC.

“They finally had to give in,” said Beallie.

He had worked on re-opening the store since moving there in the early 2000s and it was almost ready to open when it burned.

“Eighteen years I’ve been trying to get that to happen,” said Beallie.

The last store in Tete Jaune closed not long after the new highway was built.