Kapuskasing Inn Demolition: May 29, 2008

Video taken of the Kapuskasing Inn Demolition on May 29, 2008. The inn was destroyed by a fire the previous May.

The Kapuskasing Inn was built by Spruce Falls Company Ltd. in 1928 in the Neo-Tudor Style. The building was an iconic landmark in the town for almost 80 years - a place where many residents celebrated weddings, graduation parties, and other milestones. Its most famous guests were Prince Phillip and (then) Princess Elizabeth, who visited in 1951. A portrait with their signatures used to be displayed in the lobby of the Inn.

Over the years, the ownership changed several times, and eventually the building reached a state of limbo and disrepair. In the early hours of May 22nd, 2007, the building caught fire and was gutted in a matter of hours. Minors were said to have set the fire, but no charges were laid, because they were below the age of criminal responsibility at the time.

For over a year, the building sat in limbo once more, until it was determined that the Inn was no longer structurally sound and it was slated for demolition.

Video taken with a Kodak EasyShare P880 zoom camera as a .MOV file and transcoded used Akme FFmpeg transcoder.
Note: The background sounds include people talking as they watch the demolition, and a weed eater in on the grounds of the civic centre behind me at the time of filming.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Kapuskasing
• Ontario
• Northern Ontario
• Canada
• May
• 2008
• Demolition
• Kapuskasing Inn

[flashykid2]

oh wow..by a fire..?

do you know what caused it?

[Scottishsamurai545]

Apparently some minors set fire to the building, and because they were under the age of criminal responsibility [a disputable designation], no charges were ever laid.

Today, site is just a vacant lot, and you would never know there had been a building there.

[flashykid2]

wow.. thats actually sad.. :S

[Scottishsamurai545]

It's also a shame that the building fell into such a state of disrepair. The property was owned by someone in Toronto, and I recall rumours about it being made into a casino or the likes, but it just sat there boarded up for several years. It was in operation back in 1996 and up to the early 2000s, and then it sat there. The last photo I have of it was from December 2006 boarded up, and then it burned down in May 2007.

[Scottishsamurai545]

There isn't much left now of the town's historic buildings with the Inn gone and DJPS torn down in 1997. A fire destroyed one of the older commercial buildings on the Circle just a couple weeks ago, too.

[flymancanada]

only thing left there is the old hospital  .all them historic places disappearing.

[Scottishsamurai545]

Spacek's is still there under the Audiotronic franchise, and Gaston's is listed in the James Bay Frontier directory as Gaston's Sport and Marine Government Road (i.e. Highway 11). I haven't been around the Circle in Kap in over a year now myself.

[festter1]

kap inn, lots off history. born in kap, there was 2 bars that i went to small jackpine and big jackpine, lots of rock banes, party,party,party. good time.......sad to see it go.

[festter1]

lots off history. when i lived in kap there was two bars, one was jackpine and the small jackpine, good old time. will never forget, love kap always................

[bingocrystal]

2 kids or teens.We don't have any more news about it

[flashykid2]

hmm.. :S