The Queen's Hotel lies in ruin the day following the demolition. It stood in Battleford for 140 years and was one of the oldest hotels in the province. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

Memories of the Queens

Residents reflect back on the Queen’s Hotel

Mar 13, 2024 | 1:00 PM

Krista Saxton remembers walking into the Queen’s Hotel and seeing an old photo of a fire. At first glance, the photo shows a building on fire. Upon closer inspection, however, a shadowy figure of a man can be seen standing in a window on the top floor.

“It was haunted, it was,” said Saxton. “We called the guy upstairs it was a ghost – it was a man – and we called him Bernard.”

Roughly 20 years ago, Saxton was one of the regulars at the hotel and would spend hours shooting pool and socializing with a group of others ranging in age from 19 to 90.

“That building is so old, it’s just so sad, I couldn’t even believe it…I never would have thought they would smash that down,” she said.

The building stood on the corner of 101-25th St. W. for 140 years.

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“It was a landmark,” said Bernadette Leslie, manager of the Fred Light Museum. “It’s going to be a big open space now, unfortunately.”

Bartender Kristen Forrester, Krista Saxton and Heather Blais celebrate good times in the Queen’s Hotel. It was demolished on Feb., 29, 2024. (Submitted Photo/Krista Saxton)

On Leap Day, the monument that seemingly stood the test of time as one of the oldest hotels in the province before becoming dilapidated in recent years was demolished.

Bernadette said it had a long history of operating as a hotel and even did a stint as a boarding school in the early 1930s.

“At the time when the hotel was built, it was quite elaborate, something you could see for quite a ways,” Bernadette said.

“There was a big, nice dining area, people would go and enjoy a good meal, so it’s just a lot of history.”

Saxton said when she found out the building had been demolished, she reached out to her old friends.

“I said, ‘We should’ve put a table out across the street and had some drinks.’”

Mayor of Battleford Ames Leslie said now that the building is no more, it opens up opportunities as the property owners presented plans to develop it as a residential area.

“Anytime we have new, modern options for people to rent or purchase is always a good thing for our community,” he said.

Ames said there is much reflecting being done of days gone by when it was a popular eatery and community gathering spot.

“It hasn’t been open for some time, so it’s probably more of the older generation that is reminiscing what the Queen’s used to be back in its glory days.”

Saxton, who last stepped foot in the hotel back in the early 2000s and now lives in Prince Albert, said whenever she thinks of the old place, she’s overcome with memories.

“Every time after the parade – we would have a Battleford Parade come through – and then everybody went to the Queen’s Hotel.”

After sports tournaments were over, people once again gravitated towards the hotel.

“They would have pots of chilli and stuff like that.”

Bernadette said although there is going to be written history about it, without the hotel’s façade, there will be something missing in Battleford.

“It’s not going to be the same as learning the history of the Queen’s Hotel when the building’s no longer there, so it’s unfortunate,” she said. “It’s another (historic) building gone.”

What happens to a resident ghost when the building he supposedly haunts is torn down? Saxton has a theory on that.

“Somebody said, ‘Oh where’s Bernard going to live now?’ and I said ‘Ah, he’ll just enter the new building that gets built’ and she goes, ‘Nah, he left when we left.’”

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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