A piece of prairie history is coming back to life about a half-hour’s drive northeast of Calgary.
Work is well underway at the old Irricana Hotel. It’s a big project in a small town and not everyone’s convinced it’s worth the effort.
The building’s been a fixture on the town of Irricana’s main street since it went up in 1905.
The hotel’s owner, Kerry Tucker, said the restoration project is something he couldn’t resist tackling.
“I’m a heritage kind of guy and when I saw this old building, I figured it would be a good thing to catch for myself and for the community,” Tucker said. “There aren’t many old buildings left in this province anymore.”
The building has been empty and derelict for the past two decades.
“It’s amazing that they’re doing something for the town,” Irricana resident Tracey Ennis said. “Bringing back something that’s so cool: an old hotel.”
Tucker said he’s spent about $270,000 on the project so far, planning to eventually put in around $550,000.
Tucker intends to reopen the building with a bar and café on the main level.
“An original piano, the old furniture — it’s being kept for the project,” Tucker said. ”We’re going to save the murals inside. It’s all going back into the project as much as we can, to make this authentic.”
Tucker is hosting a public meeting in Irricana on Saturday, March 23, to fill townspeople in on how things are going with the hotel’s restoration.
“There’s a lot of misunderstandings. People thinking it’s the taxpayer paying for it,” Tucker said. “I’m paying for it, nobody else, none of the public has to worry.”
The meeting will also provide an opportunity for public input on the project.
“Any suggestions are welcome,” Tucker said. “Anything from the community would be great.”
Some Irricana residents wonder how the hotel restoration can be a viable proposition in a town of about 1200 people.
“It’s not like it a historic building, really,” Brian Ashley said. “I’m mean, it’s a box. To me it was a teardown.”
There are also questions about Tucker’s hopes that the renovated building will help draw visitors to Irricana.
“It’s kind of an eyesore, with how long it’s been that way, all dilapidated,” Domanic-Ryan Bennett said. “I don’t see it bringing much tourism.”
Tucker’s hoping to open the doors to his café by September 2024, optimistic that he’ll be able to attract customers.
“(We’ll have) horses riding through. That’s a tradition, once a year, and we’re going to do it again,” Tucker said. “We reinforced the floor so it could take a horse.”
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