WATCH: A 125-year-old landmark is getting a facelift, as a Calgary developer moves forward with an $11-million historic restoration of the Canmore Hotel.
A 125-year-old landmark downtown Canmore is getting a face lift, as a Calgary developer moves forward with an $11-million historic restoration of the Canmore Hotel.
It is still in operation today, but showing its age.
Five generations of Karen Fraser’s family have watched history unfold – she is the granddaughter of the former owners.
“It’s definitely time for renewal and renovation,” said Fraser.
Calgary developer Neil Richardson bought the hotel in 2006 to save it from demolition.
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“To have both a building and a business over 120 years old is pretty fantastic,” said Richardson of Heritage Property Corporation.
The Calgary developer now has an agreement with the Town of Canmore to protect the hotel with a heritage designation.
Richardson is now looking for investors to help bring it back to its former glory; he is planning a stylish downtown boutique hotel and pub with a modern addition.
“To renovate and reconfigure with as little disruption to the historic fabric, but still make it something that people actually want to use and want to enjoy,” he said about the plans.
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The family that owned the hotel for decades became part of Alberta history – their tiny, but fierce, Italian grandmother Mary Rodda became the first woman in the province allowed to run a bar.
Ian Schofield, grandson-in-law of the former owners, recalled how Rodda handled bar fights back then.
“When two guys were starting to fight, she would get a chair, crawl up between the two of them, and finally just before she died she told me what she would say to them,” he said.
“She just reminded them that she was the only licensed establishment between Banff and Calgary, and if they wanted to have another drink, they’d better calm down.”
Schofield said Rodda would love to see the hotel host generations of new guests.
Work on the hotel could be complete by early 2017.
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