Audio Transcript
Weyburn’s Royal Hotel was constructed at the turn of the century by William Fisher. In August of 1900, shortly after it was completed, 7 inches of rain flooded the town and left the building in ruins. Fisher sold the soggy ruins to Dan Pretty who re-built the hotel on the same site. In February 1902 the Royal Hotel’s business was thriving. Things were so good that the current owner Tom Robinson and his brother-in-law Harry Walsh held a lavish ball to celebrate. Legend has it that It was deemed one of the most pleasing social events which had ever taken place in Weyburn. In 1912 the Royal Hotel’s future looked so bright that the McRoberts brothers, formerly of Moose Jaw, purchased it for the princely sum of $175,000. The McRoberts had big plans for the Royal, only to have them dashed when Prohibition was introduced in 1915. In spite of the devastating impact that Prohibition had on many Saskatchewan hotels, the Royal continued with modest business success. According to census, it had fifteen staff members, including 4 chamber maids, two waitresses, two Chinese cooks, a water, a Japanese porter, two Japanese bell boys, a dishwasher, a cashier and a bookkeeper. Since the original construction, a substantial amount of effort and investment had been put into renovating the Royal Hotel. The Hotel was the largest in the city, with 100 rooms. In addition to hotel services, the Royal also housed 25 to 30 permanent residents in rooms and suites.
Unfortunately, misfortune struck the Royal Hotel once again in 1954 when a fire of unknown origin caused $146,000 damage. The fire occurred just as the Mryglods, the owners at that time, were finishing a complete renovation project.
The Hotel was again restored and gained popularity for decades into the future.
Today the Royal Hotel is being operated as a restaurant and bar and the upper floors are privately occupied.
