Key Number:	HS 28308
Site Name:	Grand Union Hotel
Other Names:
Site Type:	0405 - Mercantile/Commercial: Hotel or Inn

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			66	22	4

Address:	4924 - 50 Street
Number:	24
Street:	50
Avenue:	49
Other:
Town:	Athabasca
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Irregular
Storeys:	Storeys: 3
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Concrete
Superstructure:
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Flat
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:
Exterior:	N/A
Interior:	Extensive renovatin.
Environment:	Town lot.
Condition:	Structure: Good. Repair: Good. 27 OCT 1981.
Alterations:	Interior, renovated, exterior painted.

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Constructed.	1913/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Hotel	1913/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Grand Union Hotel Co. Ltd. Union Hotel (Athabaska) Ltd.	1974/01/01

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	1907 - first Grand Union Hotel - owner Isaiah Gagnon. 1908 - Mastai Bertrand proprietor. 1913 - new Union Hotel built, Jack Hopps, plasterer. 1914 - H. Campbell manager, '..Athabasca Hotel, very new and up to date opposite the CNR Depot.' 1920 - M.E. Day proprietor. 1922 - Mrs. M.E. Day proprietor. 1924 - Frank Donald manager. 1928-29 Frank Donald Manager. A fire in 1913 burned the original wooden hotel, and destroyed most of the block on which it was built. RESOURCE Grand Union Hotel ADDRESS 4924 – 50 Street, Athabasca BUILT 1913 DESIGNATION STATUS Registered Historic Resource HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE The historical significance of the Grand Union Hotel lies primarily in its juxtaposition near the Athabasca River and railway station, symbolizing the central position of Athabasca Landing in the development of the north prior to World War I. The Hotel also symbolizes the buoyant economic optimism held for this community at the time and also as a focus for the town and the largest hotel in the district for years to come. HISTORICAL CONTEXT In 1878, the Hudson’s Bay Company cut a trail from Fort Edmonton north to a southerly elbow on the Athabasca River, which soon became known as Athabasca Landing. Over the years, this location became a centre for fur trade operations in the North West, and a focal point of all transportation from Edmonton down the Athabasca River and into the MacKenzie Basin. As northern commerce expanded with the turn of the century, the community grew in size. In 1912, the railway arrived and a land boom ensued. That year, the Landing was incorporated as the Town of Athabasca. In 1913, a fire devastated the downtown core of Athabasca. With the buoyant optimism of the time, however, the business district was soon restructured to accommodate extensive future growth. Among the edifices to grace the new town centre, was the largest and most lavish hotel north of Edmonton at that time, the Grand Union. Owned and operated by W.R. Day, this brick structure replaced the earlier wood frame Grand Union that had been destroyed by the fire. The new hotel included 50 rooms, many with private baths, and centralized steam heating. The building itself also included a café, tavern, billiard room, bowling alley and writing room. Located in Strathcona (Main) Avenue just across from the railway station, this structure would for years to come, accommodate all variety of travelers to the North. One was Charles Bedaux, the international industrialist, on his way to Fort St. John in 1934 to push a road (unsuccessfully) through the Rock and Cassiar Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. As the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway by-passed Athabasca in 1914, however, the community and hotel did not come to serve many of the settlers bound for the Peace River Country. In 1919, the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway was completed to Fort McMurray, and another major traffic flow was diverted from Athabasca. In the years that followed, the community held its own as lumbering centre with some mixed farming in its vicinity, but it did not attain the development level anticipated in 1914. With time, the quality of service in the town’s largest hotel diminished somewhat although the prominent placement oft the structure at the town’s centre would always render it a familiar landmark and a common watering hole for local residents. In later years, it was acquired by the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company and in 1964, was sold to the Highfield Hotel Company owned by P.A. Giannone. BUILDING/SITE The Grand Union Hotel in Athabasca is located on the principal intersection that was at the foot of the old Athabasca Trail. The resource is a large, three storey brick building that has been subject to insensitive alterations that have affected its historic architectural significance. In summary the changes include: · Removal of the original classical detailing on the exterior; · Renovations in the restaurant area; · Renovations to the front entrance and beverage room area; · Additions to the beverage rooms for bathrooms and storage rooms; · Replacement of the original single hung windows with modern units; and · Painting the exterior with a modern latex paint. The building is in stable condition. However, the following areas are in poor condition and will require restoration: · The exterior paint is peeling and wearing away; · The exterior millwork has deteriorated in some areas and requires restoration; and · The entrances have signs of wear from indifferent maintenance in the past.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:

Register:	N/A

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places: