The owner of one of Castlegar’s landmarks, the Hi-Lite Cafe, has passed away.
Jim Mah, 82, died suddenly on Dec. 9, at Vancouver General Hospital according to his son Johnny Mah.
Mah and his wife Amy spent 45 years serving Chinese food to Castlegar before selling the building and retiring in 2018. They then moved to Vancouver to be near their children.
Johnny said the pair had been enjoying retirement life for the past five years.
When most people think of the Hi-Lite, they think of the bright green interior, orange swivelling stools and table-side jukeboxes. The restaurant is one of the oldest in town and its closing marked the end of a chapter in Castlegar history.
The building’s history pre-dates the Hi-Lite. It was built in the 1950s and served as Castlegar’s original Greyhound bus depot. Years later, it changed hands and was turned into Rigby’s Confectionary, which also served as a drugstore and cafe.
When the property was purchased by Chris Ortega and Chrispar Investments Inc. in 2018, Ortega had plans to set up a pop-up style restaurant that would feature guest chefs and set-menu ticketed events. That plan never materialized.
The most recent plans for the building were for an expansion of Nelson’s Sushi Wood restaurant. But Sushi Wood’s manager said that the Castlegar location is not expected to open any time soon. However, they will be opening a Trail location in the spring.
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