By Rose Divecha

I was fixated on her red stilettos kicking up a storm on the dance floor, juxtaposed to the guy in a green hoodie, equally entranced by the thumping music. I was a little tipsy and content to just sit and watch everyone pulsing together on the crowded dance floor. If I had known it would be the last time for a year and a half, I would have got up and joined in.

The ladies at Fishers Pier 4 Pub had so kindly fit us in that last Friday of the month, February 2020. Carving out a cozy spot at the end of a long table, they introduced my husband Rob and I to some of the regulars sitting next to us. We soon learned Open Jam Night was a monthly occurrence at Fisher’s and that most of them had been coming for years. Still relatively new to the neighborhood, we were thrilled to discover we could watch a live band while having a few drinks and all within walking distance of our house.

Following a night of live music, a satisfying meal and friendly conversation, we went home happy. Determined not to miss out on the fun again, I promptly marked my calendar for March and April – “Open Jam Night @ Fisher’s”. We didn’t make it back unfortunately. Covid, it turns out, had other plans.

Like many people trying to fill free time, my husband and I took a lot of walks in the neighbourhood this past year. Our strolls would often have us meandering past Fisher’s wistfully looking to the locked door and finding encouragement on the message posted on the signboard. We wanted nothing more than a beer and the Baron of Beef in our favourite pub.

As Ontario reopens, I’m hopeful things will return to normal. That the places in our community that have come to mean so much to us will not only survive but thrive once again. And while we might be a few months away from crowding onto a dance for together, I’m going to run out now and buy a new pair of pumps, red perhaps. When the music returns, I’ll be sure to hit the dance floor this time.