This weekend the Commercial Hotel on Whyte Ave will celebrate its centennial birthday in a big way.
The celebration takes place on Sunday July 8th with live outdoor music, street and food vendors, beer gardens, street performers, as well as family activities.
The event will take up a whole block of Whyte Avenue, causing a street closure between 103 & 104 street from 10am to 10pm.
“I think the hype is very high,” says general manager Michael Purcell, adding they have been planning this birthday party for the past 10 months.
Purcell has been the general manager since 1996.
He believes the business has continued because over the years it has appealed to all ages. It’s also because of the Hotel’s bar, Blues on Whyte.
“The commercial, besides being a hotel, has always been an entertainment establishment and being on Whyte Avenue and Old Strathcona, it’s just always been a popular and trendy neighbourhood,” he says.
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Tony Springer, also known as Wild T, will be performing with his band Wild T and the Spirit during the centennial celebrations.
“I’m just privileged to be part of this whole thing, it’s an honour,” he says.
“This building is an institution in Edmonton.”
The Toronto musician has been playing Blues on Whyte for the last six years. He says he likes the venue because it’s one of the few places that still support live music six nights a week and he also enjoys the diverse crowd.
“That’s what I like about this place; it has all kinds of diversity. The listeners, the dancers, the screamers,” he says.
“People like to just come right up front of the stage and feel the energy of the band.”
Historian Laureate, Shirley Lowe says the relevance of this birthday party goes far beyond the Commercial Hotel because in 1912 – the year the hotel opened – was a big boom in the Old Strathcona area.
“Not only is this the 100 year anniversary of this particular building, but it’s also the anniversary of a number of the buildings here,” she says.
“The fact is we have saved 100 years of history in this area.”
But General Manager Purcell says that even though they have 100 years under their belt now, they won’t be leaving anytime soon.
“Because of the community we’re in and the Old Strathcona neighbourhood, as long as this place stands, it will always be open.”
Visit www.bluesonwhyte.ca for more information on the celebrations.
With files from Vinesh Pratap.
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