'It’s a sad day': Last call for the Cambridge Hotel on Pembina as it's set to close
It’s the last call at the Cambridge Hotel.
“It’s terrible. I mean, it’s like we’re losing part of the community,” said Don Benson, a regular of the ‘Camby’ for more than 50 years. “Everybody knows everybody here. It’s a sad day; that’s all I can say.”
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Winnipeg newsletters
The 86-year-old hotel on Pembina Highway is set to close its doors Tuesday. Owner Bryan Klein, whose family has owned the hotel since 1977, told CTV News this decision has been years in the making.
“It's time. You know the hotel is quite old. It was built in 1938 and it's had different additions and renovations, but it needs some new treatment,” he said. “Tomorrow night is the last hurrah.”
While Klein has sold the building, he is also a part of the new ownership group planning to build a six-storey mixed-use residential apartment block in its place.
READ MORE: Redevelopment proposed at site of Cambridge Hotel on Pembina Highway
Klein said demolition of the Cambridge Hotel and beer vendor will happen this winter.
It is the latest fixture along Pembina Highway to close its doors, making way for new developments revamping the entrance to Fort Garry.
Across the street from the Cambridge Hotel, construction is currently underway on a 12-storey mixed-use residential development where the old Pembina Hotel once stood.
“We're renewing Pembina in a really nice way,” Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort-Rouge East Fort Garry) said.
“I'm excited about it. I always could envision a better opening to Fort Garry... and these two bookends will be, I think, the legacy of these two institutions.”
Rollins said these developments bring needed density to an important transit corridor and add commercial stock to rejuvenate the space.
But it is the end of an era for long-time regulars – folks like Terry Dann, who said the 'Camby' has been the favourite watering hole of his rugby club for more than 50 years.
“I first started coming here in 1965 and it's been the place where the Wasps and other rugby clubs have gone for their post game beers ever since,” he said.
He and the club had one last round at the hotel on Saturday, recounting the decades’ worth of memories spent together at the ‘Camby’.
“All things come to an end, and I think it was a pretty good run, nearly 60 years.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They thought he wasn't making it': B.C. soccer star's family on his shocking shooting — and remarkable recovery
Born and raised in Metro Vancouver, Nathan Demian was living his dream playing soccer for top-ranked Ohio State University, when he was shot during a post-game pizza run with his brother Saturday night.
MPs approve $21.6B in supplementary spending; Conservatives vote against
Parliament has approved $21.6 billion in government spending, in a late Tuesday vote in the House of Commons.
No injuries reported after gunshots fired inside Etobicoke high school, 2 suspects outstanding
Toronto police are searching for two suspects after gunshots were fired inside an Etobicoke high school late Tuesday afternoon.
DEVELOPING Luigi Mangione shouts as he is led into courthouse where he contests extradition to N.Y.
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggled with deputies and shouted Tuesday while arriving for a court appearance in Pennsylvania, a day after he was arrested at a McDonald’s and charged with murder.
Celebrities and coastal residents flee from wind-driven wildfire in Malibu
Evacuation orders and warnings have gone out to 20,000 Southern California residents Tuesday as firefighters battled a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu that burned near celebrities' seaside mansions, horse farms and Pepperdine University, the sheriff's department said.
Waterloo Region mistakenly applied $13.7M discount to Amazon build in Blair
The Region of Waterloo will not be able to demand $13.7 million from a developer after they said a discount was mistakenly issued for the development of an Amazon fulfillment centre.
Dolly Parton explains why her longtime husband doesn't attend events with her
Dolly Parton has been married for 58 years, but you probably could count on one hand the times you have seen her with her husband.
'Which one of those two is going to win?': Poilievre prods Trudeau, Freeland over spending tension
Revived talk of tensions between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland prompted new questions Tuesday, about how big the federal deficit will be in next week's economic update.
Ex-minister cites 'threat to security' for denying emergency passport to Abdelrazik
Former foreign minister Lawrence Cannon says he denied an emergency passport to Abousfian Abdelrazik in 2009 because he considered the Montreal man a possible threat to national security.