To mark their time in the community they have plenty of celebrations planned over the next several weeks.
The centrepiece of all these events though has to be the second annual Riverside Wine Harvest Festival, taking place Sept. 22 from 4 to 8 p.m.
The festival is bringing wineries, breweries and distilleries from all around Nova Scotia to Liverpool for people to sample their goods. Live music features "The Sidemen" Blues, and at dusk a display of fireworks will be let off.
There is no cost to get in. Food and drink tickets can be purchased at the event to sample the drinks.
Other events include:
Friday, Sept 21 Quiz Night with Blaine Whynott 7:30 p.m.
Thurs, Sept. 27 An evening of Poetry with Alice Burdick and Jaime Forsthye as well as local author Darren Greer. 7 p.m. in Snug Harbour Books. Free of charge.
Friday, Sept 28 Flat Fifth are back together and have a new cd. Advance tickets are $10 or $15 at the door. 8:30 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 5 Juno Award Winning Blues Guitarist Morgan Davis 8:30 p.m. $10 cover
Sat. Oct 6, Sommelier's Choice Wine Tasting. Sommelier Corinne Maund shares the best picks from the Annual Port of Wines Festival in Halifax. 8 p.m. $45
The Lane family has a long history in the community, starting in 1933 when Ed and Helen Lane came to Liverpool.
The family took over the building, which would eventually become the Inn, in 1947. Before it was a motel however, a beauty shop, gift shop, jewellery store and apartments were all housed under the roof.
One of the largest endeavors was as a furniture store, the biggest on the South Shore at the time. They were the first store to sell TVs, and the only one able to get a signal. According to the family, when the picture came in it would cause a traffic jam on Bristol Avenue.
The 1960s were a time of big change at the location. The family opened their newest business venture, a hotel and restaurant in 1962. A 40-seat coffee shop was put in, where the gourmet shop sits. Eight hotel units were put in, and in October of that year they sold the first room at a rate of $5.50 a night.
Their son Ron was asked by his parents to come home in 1962 to help work at the family business. Leaving a career in the Air Force, he packed his wife and five children and made the three-week journey from White Horse to Liverpool.
It was a challenge raising a family and running the motel, says Ron. After moving home they added another four children to the household as well. All worked in the motel in some capacity as they grew up, and the family joke is that was why he had so many children.
A direct line was installed from the motel to their house on Court Street, and since they were the only accommodation at the time they would get calls in all hours of the night.
"That phone rang all night long," laughs Susan, daughter of Ron and present manager of the Inn.
However Susan says he always made sure they did things as a family. It may have been a little unorthodox at times, with their outings starting when most families were finishing their holidays, such as the long weekends, but it was an important part of their lives.
As the years progressed the hotel expanded, with the furniture store and apartments changed into a larger eating establishment with banquet room and more accommodations.
Lane's was the place to go for live music in the 1970s, similar to today but bands were louder and the clientele a bit rowdier. With a restaurant that served food 24 hours a day, it difficult to manage the motel, music venue and family all at once. It was scaled back to a more manageable level after that.
Not that running a family inn is a walk in the park, both then and now. Susan says small, family-run establishments are becoming hard to find because of the difficulties the industry is facing.
The economic climate, government policies and decisions, and the cost all play a factor in the survivability of an establishment. It leads to a lot of turnover in the industry.
"It's pretty rare in Nova Scotia and find that the same people are running it that were running it a few years before," she says
To make it work, there is a lot of hard work and time put in for the slender profits to be had.
"You really have to love this industry to do it."
Other results though can be rewarding. The industry is about making people happy, not just giving them food and a bed.
"It's about giving them an experience and memories that make them want to return," says Susan.
The family is now in its third generation, with Susan, Terry and Linda Lane managing and working at the Inn. Susan and Terry took over management of the motel while Ron served as the mayor of Liverpool from 1986 to 1996.
Change and the family are probably the only constants at Lane's. The name was changed from Lane's Motel to Lane's Privateer Inn. In 1994 Snug Harbour Books and Gourmet was opened, while in 1998 Snug Harbour Gourmet expanded and opened. At the turn of the millennium they went through another major renovation, redoing all of the rooms and putting in a whole new kitchen.
After 50 years though, it's hard to imagine a Liverpool without Lane's.
