6. Bruin Inn

Bruin Inn

Many hotels have existed on this site. Built in 1885, the original St. Albert Hotel was destroyed by fire in February 1899. It was rebuilt four months later. Fire broke out again in 1928, and in 1929 the St. Albert Hotel was replaced by the Bruin Inn.

In the early 1900s, people were drawn to St. Albert to enjoy recreational activities on Big Lake and the Sturgeon River. When tourism was at its height, there were three hotels located downtown. In poor weather, they did a booming business because the roads were impassable, especially going up the hill which is now Green Grove Drive.

At one time liquor laws in Edmonton prohibited men and women from drinking together in public. As a result, in the 1940s, couples and servicemen would travel to St. Albert from Edmonton and surrounding areas. They would have to wait in long lines outside the Bruin Inn in order to share a drink. Beer on tap was only five cents! In 1948, the beer parlour was expanded and frequently had as many as 600 people crowding through the doors on a Saturday night.

The Bruin Inn survived for 70 years and despite efforts to save the building, it was demolished in 1999. The Bruin Centre, built in 2001, now stands on the site.

Bruin Inn

En ces lieux, plusieurs hôtels ont vu le jour. Le premier Saint-Albert Hotel, construit en 1885 brûla en février 1899. Il fut reconstruit quatre mois plus tard mais fut de nouveau incendié en 1928. Finalement, en 1929, il fut remplacé par le Bruin Inn.

Au début du XXème siècle, plusieurs touristes en quête de loisirs aimaient profiter de Big Lake et de la rivière Esturgeon. À l’apogée du tourisme, jusqu’à trois hôtels ont existé au centre-ville. Lorsque la température était misérable, les hôtels faisaient de très bonnes affaires parce que les routes pour sortir de St-Albert étaient impraticables, notamment la côte Green Grove Drive.

Les lois albertaines sur les spiritueux interdisaient aux hommes et aux femmes de boire ensemble en public à Edmonton. Dans les années ’40, les couples et les militaires venaient d’Edmonton et des environs et faisaient la queue à l’extérieur du Bruin Inn pour boire ensemble. La bière pression ne coûtait que 5 cents! Le salon fut agrandi en 1948 et jusqu’à 600 personnes fréquentaient le Bruin Inn les samedis soirs.

L’hôtel survécut pendant 70 ans. Malgré les efforts de groups communautaires qui voulaient le sauvegarder, il fut démoli en 1999. Le Bruin Centre, construit en 2001, se dresse maintenant à l’emplacement original du Bruin Inn.

Bruin Nipâwikamik

Mihcet kîhayâwa nipâwikamikwa ôta. ekîhosihcikâtek awaspî 1885 ewakôma St. Albert Hotel ehisiyihkâtek kîmestihkâtew ekospî mikisiwipîsim 1899. Kâwi kîhosihtâniwiw newo pîsim ehispayik. Mâka âsay mîna kîkîstew 1928, ekwa kihtwâm askiy 1929 St. Albert Hotel kîhosihcikâtew mâka ekwa Bruin Inn kîhisiyihkâtew.

Awaspî 1900s mihcet ayisiyiniwak kîpemohcikihtâwak ôta Big Lake ekwa Sturgeon River epemetawecik nanâtohk kîkway. Peyakwâw nisto nipâwikamikwa kîhihtakonwa ôta ôcenâsihk St. Albert. Mayiwepahki mistahi kîsônîyâkemakanwa osâm meskanawa iyikohk emâyâtahki, wâwîs kâmaciwepayihk ispacinâsihk Green Grove Drive kâhisiyihkâtek.

Mâmawominihkwewin namoya ohci pakitinikâtew ôtenâhk Amiskwacîwâskahikanihk, nâpewak piskihc kîminihkwewak, ekwa mîna ohpime wîstawâw kîminihkwewak. Ekwa 1940 owîkimitowak ekwa simâkanisîkânisak kipehtakwahitowak ôtenâhk ohci ekwa misiwîte ohci, enânawayokâpawicik wayawîtimîhk Bruin Inn, osâm enohtewîtapimitocik. Ekospî nîyânan pîwâpiskos piko kîhitakihtew iskwesisapoy. Piyisk kîyahksîcikâtew minihkwewikamik 1948, nânitaw 600 (nikotwâsik kihci mitâtahtomitanaw) ayisiyiniwak kahkîtepapiwak nikotwâsik kîsikâyiki ekota.

Nânitaw tepakohpomitanaw askiy kîcimatew Bruin Inn, âta enohtekanawehcikâtek piyisk kîpîkonikâtew 1999. Ekota ekwa anohc cimatew Bruin Centre ehisiyihkâtek 2001 ekîhosihcikâtek.