▁general ▁store ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁when ▁Hamb lin ' s ▁General ▁Store ▁and ▁the ▁Red ▁& ▁White ▁Store ▁closed ▁but ▁this ▁soon ▁ended . ▁The ▁by pass ing ▁of ▁Qu ' App elle ▁by ▁Highway ▁ 1 0 ▁to ▁the ▁Qu ' App elle ▁Valley , ▁the ▁closing ▁of ▁the ▁gra in ▁elev ators ▁and ▁the ▁gas ▁stations , ▁the ▁high ▁school ▁and ▁all ▁the ▁remaining ▁gro c ery ▁stores ▁determin atively ▁sp elled ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁Qu ' App elle ▁as ▁a ▁vi able ▁commercial ▁centre . ▁ ▁The ▁previously - ment ioned ▁Queen ' s ▁Hotel , ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁contained ▁a ▁commercial ▁pub , ▁al beit ▁closed ▁from ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 2 0 s ▁by ▁the ▁brief ▁provincial ▁temper ance ▁stat ute . ▁The ▁pub ▁was ▁essentially ▁the ▁sole ▁remaining ▁operation ▁of ▁the ▁hotel ; ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁it ▁stead ily ▁decl ined ▁in ▁use ▁together ▁with ▁virt ually ▁all ▁town ▁commercial ▁operations ▁until ▁the ▁hotel ' s ▁destruction ▁by ▁fire ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁ ▁Contempor ary ▁issues ▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁the ▁trans - Can ada ▁highway ▁passed ▁through ▁Qu ' App elle ▁— ▁it ▁was ▁then ▁re located ▁some ▁half - mile ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁— ▁and ▁till ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁Qu ' App elle ▁commerce ▁was ▁margin ally ▁saved ▁from ▁mor ib und ity ▁by ▁local ▁far mers