The solid gold shot glass paying homage to this Northern Manitoba town's roots
Next time you visit Snow Lake, Manitoba – stop in at the Snow Lake Motor Inn, ask the bartender for the 'Golden 49er' and you will be handed a shot glass made of solid gold mined right there in the community.
Owner Gerard Lamontagne had been looking for a way to promote Snow Lake Motor Inn, one of the Northern Manitoba's oldest mining town bars. The town was built around the Britannia mine, and on Christmas Eve, 1949, the Snow Lake Motor Inn opened its doors.
"I always loved that idea because the hotel was built for the community of Snow Lake to service all the miners and their families," Lamontagne said, adding the idea of a solid gold shot glass came to his mind.
Working with a jeweller in Winnipeg, Lamontagne had a custom Snow Lake Motor Inn solid gold shot glass created – the majority of the gold coming right from the community.
Gerard Lamontagne holds the 'Golden 49er' a solid gold shot glass made with gold mined in his community of Snow Lake, Manitoba. (Source: Gerard Lamontagne)
"There's guaranteed not another one in any bar on the planet," Lamontagne said. "And without a doubt not another one where you can actually come – as anybody that's legally able to enter the bar – and have a drink from the solid gold shot glass."
Lamontagne debuted the Golden 49er to the community on Saturday, giving his 92-year-old father the first taste from the golden glass.
He said he wants the Golden 49er to be more than just a memorable way to enjoy a drink.
"We want it to be something that's going to give back to our community and basically to Canadians in general," adding a portion of the proceeds from the Golden 49er will be going to charities annually.
Along with the debut of the Golden 49er, Lamontagne said the Snow Lake Motor Inn has donated $333 each to the local Royal Canadian Legion, The Ronald McDonald House, and Boys and Girls Club.
Lamontagne said he hopes the Golden 49er will become a worldwide tourist attraction.
"Come on down to Snow Lake and enjoy some of our northern hospitality - there are a lot of other beautiful things to check out in the community – and stop in the Motor Inn and have a shot from the Golden 49er," he said.
"Maybe it'll bring you some luck."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.