(Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Historic Building

Year in Review: A Goodbye to Prince Albert’s National Hotel

Dec 29, 2023 | 8:00 AM

As 2023 draws to a close, paNOW is taking a look back on the most important and impactful stories of the year, as selected by our reporters and editorial staff.

A historic Prince Albert landmark was officially demolished this past summer.

The National Hotel was torn down around 119 years after it was first constructed.

News first broke about the hotel’s future back in April, catching many people in the community off-guard.

Ken Guedo, who works in the archives department of the Prince Albert Historical Society, told paNOW at the time that he still remembers the golden days when it was one of the best places to be.

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“The fact that it’s the last of Prince Albert’s original hotels bothers me that it’s going to be gone,” he added. “For years and years, there were five to six hotels in the downtown.”

Some of those hotels he mentioned included the Lincoln, the Marlboro, which is now a Travelodge; the Avenue Hotel, and the Empress which burned down and is now where an A&W is located.

“You never like to see these old buildings get demolished, but I think the National Hotel has served its purpose and the owners feel that it doesn’t fit with their vision anymore,” said Craig Guidinger, the director of planning and development services for the City of P.A.

(Submitted Photo/Prince Albert Historical Society)

Over the years, the National Hotel changed ownership several times. This includes original proprietor D. Pollock, the McLeod family, Tom Michas, W. Henley of Estevan, and Harry MacKay. Currently, the land title for the National belongs to Doutal Enterprises.

There are no concrete plans for what will be built in the National Hotel’s place.

The property owner explained there will be a new building constructed, but at this time there’s been no decision on what it will be used for.

(Submitted Photo/Prince Albert Historical Society)

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow