It is with great sadness that I post this picture that Joelle sent to me of the Kapuskasing Inn which was torn down. From what Mike told me, it was torn down last weekend.
The Kapuskasing Inn was a staple in our town. According to Wikipedia, it was built in 1928 by the Spruce Falls Mill. It’s claim to fame is the fact that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed at the hotel on their first visit to Canada in 1951. It overlooked the Kapuskasing River and the mill and I remember plenty a time where I would walk over to the Kapuskasing Inn and sit on a bench across the street and look at the river. It was quite relaxing.
Unfortunately, over the years, there just wasn’t enough business coming in and eventually, in 2002, it shut down and no investors came in to fix it up. In the end, in 2007, some punk kids (I use this term loosely) set fire to a section of it and it pretty well nailed the final nail in the coffin. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were going to shut the thing down even if there was no fire. No one was taking care of it and I can only imagine how the structure was inside after years of neglect.
I say it is with great sadness that they tear this building down because I have a problem. That problem is with the North American way of getting rid of old things. Buildings, video game systems, old human beings (!). When I travelled to Germany, I was given a tour around the town and explained that there were some buildings here that have been around for centuries! They lasted the World Wars, the survived Oktoberfests, they were still standing and they are kept in as much pristine order as they can. Their society ENCOURAGES keeping these buildings alive. History shouldn’t just be a photo in a textbook or on Wikipedia. It should exist with us NOW.
I understand the financial logistics of such an undertaking. But let me ask you this. Why is it that years ago, there was more money put into building these grand structures and now everyone just wants to make a giant profit so they find the cheapest way to construct something. Is that the way things worked years ago? Was the Kapuskasing Inn the cheapest way to construct a hotel? I’m thinking not. Anyhow, I digress.
I am disappointed that there was no financial backing to keep the Kapuskasing Inn running, but I don’t know specific details as to how much it would have cost. All I know is yet another community (more importantly, Canadian) landmark has been demolished and there is simply a pile of dirt resting there.
Maybe I just have a problem with my hometown being whittled down of the things I remember…
3 replies on “Kapuskasing Inn Demolished”
They are still in the process of tearing ot down.
I used to live in the Kapuskasing inn in 1965 and 1966 when I worked for the mill. The rent for my room was 1.30 a day because the rent was subsidized by Spruce Falls mill, who owned the mill.
As to the maintaining of old structures in Europe and not, for example, in Kapuskasing, the reasons are economic. Look for example at all the ancient cities of the world that are just piles of rubble and ruin, whether they are in Europe or anywhere else. If a city or town or even just a building is not economically viable, it dies. Sad but true, and necessary – you don’t pump money into unviable enterprises.
I used to live in the Kapuskasing inn in 1965 and 1966 when I worked for the mill. The rent for my room was 1.30 a day because the rent was subsidized by Spruce Falls mill, who owned the inn.
As to the maintaining of old structures in Europe and not, for example, in Kapuskasing, the reasons are economic. Look for example at all the ancient cities of the world that are just piles of rubble and ruin, whether they are in Europe or anywhere else. If a city or town or even just a building is not economically viable, it dies. Sad but true, and necessary – you don’t pump money into unviable enterprises.