The Herald Tribune newspaper from July 19, 1957 had a six-page spread to usher in the new Park Hotel, which featured "Everything new in comfort and convenience" (Photo: South Peace Regional Archives / Herald Tribune)

By Shaun Penner

1957-2020

Park Hotel’s beginning differed greatly from its end

Apr 23, 2020 | 4:36 PM

With the demolition of the Park Hotel now completed, many within the community are happy to see the long-ago-vacated and boarded up building take its leave from the view of the downtown west side of Grande Prairie.

Many of those same folks are also excited to see what will be built in its place, as a planned six-storey mixed-use building is slated to be built on the site in the near future.

That same feeling of anticipation was had nearly 63 years prior to today when a new hotel graced the site where the old Capitol Theatre used to sit along Richmond Avenue (100 Ave).

On July 19, 1957, the Herald-Tribune newspaper published a six-page spread to share the exciting news of the brand new Grande Prairie Park Hotel’s grand opening.

Much excitement was made about the new hotel, which was to usher in “the new concept of luxury in accommodation.”

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Photo: South Peace Regional Archives / Herald-Tribune

The new three-storey hotel had been operating since May of that year, but the grand opening was delayed until “final touches were given to the building’s gleaming, ultra-modern interior”

The new hotel featured 42 guest rooms. Each was touted as having a radio, a spring filled mattress from Alberta Bedding Ltd. out of Edmonton, upholstered chairs, a writing desk and modern lamps.

Much acclaim was also made about the services the hotel provided. Those included the “modern” Park Café, a modern banquet hall, a sporting goods store, and a beauty salon.

“The Park Hotel was designed, finished and furnished throughout with the travelling public in mind,” reads a section of the spread. “We invite you to make the Park Hotel your Grande Prairie headquarters when you are visiting the newest city in Alberta.”

“The spanking new hotel offers complete facilities to the travelling public – and has included a number of ‘extras’ including a shoe shine stand operated by Tom Jackson.”

Photo: South Peace Regional Archives / Herald-Tribune

Ross Henderson, a bank manager from Edmonton, was named as the hotel’s first manager. Jimmy Awid, a representative of Western Varieties and Dry Goods Ltd. was registered as the first guest of the hotel, in room 110. His company supplied many of the furnishings for the hotels “large” sample rooms.

Well-known Grande Prairie merchant P.V. Croken. was also named to the Board of Directors for Grande Prairie’s newest hotel.

Photo: South Peace Regional Archives / Herald-Tribune

Photo: South Peace Regional Archives / Herald-Tribune

Also noted throughout the six-page feature is the number of local businesses who had a hand in the development of the hotel, wishing upon it great success in the years to come.

Some of those businesses involved include Standard Roofing, Oilund Construction, Frontier Lumber and N. Smashnuk Plumbing, Heating and Ventiliation among many others.

Photo: South Peace Regional Archives / Herald-Tribune

Photo: South Peace Regional Archives / Herald-Tribune

Much about the hotel evolved over its six decades in Grande Prairie, which led to its ultimate demise and demolition.

But it was not always seen as the “eyesore” it was commonly referred to in its final years.

The hotel that ushered in “the new concept of luxury” said its final goodbyes on April 22 (Photo: Shaun Penner)

(With files from the South Peace Regional Archives)