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The Leland Hotel was fashioned in the colonial style

No matter what story we tell and how far we might look back into the colourful history and settlement of the Ponoka district, one will always find that the supreme spirit of friendly hospitality and true grit were always very obvious.
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The Leland Hotel at 5009 Chipman Avenue was built in 1901 and has been an active and colourful part of Ponoka’s friendly ‘hotel hospitality’ for over a decade of historical community memories.

By Mike Rainone

For the News

No matter what story we tell and how far we might look back into the colourful history and settlement of the Ponoka district, one will always find that the supreme spirit of friendly hospitality and true grit were always very obvious. As the thriving Village of Ponoka and surrounding countryside welcomed hundreds of new settlers and visitors at the turn of the century, our local hotels and boarding rooms were always full to capacity.

Between 1900 and 1901 three fine hotels were established on Ponoka’s bustling main street, including the Royal, the Leland, and the Alberta, which was later called the Temperance Hotel. These magnificent facilities were important social venues and welcoming shelters for the early settlement’s transient population, and their splendid hospitality services included comfortable rooms, the finest of linens, plush billiard tables, entertainment and recreation, large front balconies, and exquisite dining…all for daily and weekly prices ranging from 25 cents to $3.50.

In a spirited mood of friendly but always lively competition both the Leland and the Royal Hotels featured downstairs taverns with on street hitching rails for horses, buggies, and later parking for vehicles; while the Temperance was for ladies and gentleman who chose not to sample liquor. The clientele at both the hotels and the boarding houses would vary over the years, and the village, then town, grew at a rapid pace between 1900 and 1930. As early as 1900 the province’s feisty politicians would flock into Ponoka to peddle their beliefs to new residents and attempt to gather support for future elections. Dressed in their finest they would stay at the community hotels and mingle with the locals; and were likely joined by gamblers in town for a red-hot card game, Canadian Pacific Railway workers, inquisitive visitors, and free spending entrepreneurs and professionals looking to make an investment for the future. Even as early as 1900 the building permits for the Village of Ponoka had reached an amazing $23,000, and as the construction boom continued new businesses, homes, and services appeared. Extensive plans were being made to establish a modern Provincial Mental Hospital, tall wooden elevators appeared along the track to store the farmers’ rich grain crops, the town was growing in all directions, and jobs and opportunities were a big attraction for those new families who had chosen to make the town and district their home.

The long history of the Leland Hotel

Jack McCue and George Sellers built the Leland Hotel in 1901 at 5009 Chipman Avenue, and Mr. McCue sold his interests in 1904. The Leland enjoyed and featured quite a few changes, alterations, and additions over the years; as well as numerous owners including Bob Stewart, Lux, Morrisroe, Miles, and Gamborski, only to mention a few.

One of the finest community buildings of that early era, our original Leland Hotel featured ornamental wood brackets along the eaves and a row of dormers set into a steeply pitched hip roof that followed the unique building styles of eastern Canada. In 1952 an addition was built to the northwest corner, the original wooden siding was covered with stucco, and glass block windows were introduced in the current fashion. Long before refrigeration the staff of the Leland Hotel would cut ice blocks from the Battle River, then packed them in sawdust in an ice house behind the hotel, and used them to cool beverages and soothe headaches.

As the years progressed and our population zoomed, the Leland Hotel also added a restaurant to the front of their building, then in 1999 more extensive exterior enhancements were made as the owners took part in the exciting Town of Ponoka Main Street project. Going back into our illustrious community hotel history, the Temperance Hotel remained in operation until 1920 before being sold and converted into Hornstien’s Store, which later burnt to the ground.

Meanwhile, both the Leland and the Royal Hotel still stand proudly along Chipman Avenue, surviving close to 110 years of harsh winters, hot summers, and disastrous fires, while witnessing countless milestone events and amazing progress along the way. As a part of our colourful history, they have extended the welcome mat of friendly shelter and hospitality to thousands of visitors to our community, both then, and now.