It Continues: Tofield Hotel (Royal Alexandra)

Here’s the latest set of preview pics from the ongoing series Beer Parlour Project with gallery photographer Rob Pohl. Our goal is to visit as many small town old-school hotel pubs as time allows, and document this interesting slice of history. In this instalment we’re at the Tofield Hotel (former Royal Alexandra) in Tofield Alberta and it dates to 1912. Still happening after one hundred and eleven years on the scene!

It’s one the oldest visited so far and just think of how the world has changed since it was built. If stopped by back then, it’s likely you did so on foot, by horseback or wagon. Cars were still a novelty out in these parts at the time and the road out front was most certainly of dirt. Dirt plus horse droppings and mucky or concrete-like depending on the weather.

If you journeyed to Tofield from out of town it would have likely been by train and it would have been pulled by a smoke belching steam locomotive. Imagine that?

Electricity would be a luxury at the time and ditto for indoor plumping. News of the outside world would come via the local newspaper or perhaps second hand from the telephone exchange. Radio was not on the scene and entertainment might be in the form of books or conversation, not that anyone had much spare time anyway. You had to work your fingers to the bone just to survive and leisure activities few and far between.

In the past there was a parapet emblazoned with the hotel’s name atop the chamfered (angled) section of the building. Right above that top window there and by those antennas. That’s back when it operated as the Royal Alexandra and when it changed to the current incarnation about 1970, this feature was removed.

The two street facing sides of the structure have been reclad, but from the alley you can still see the original brick. It’s a sturdy structure, robust, not overly ornate (even when built) but has an unmistakable presence. It’s the largest building in downtown Tofield and can’t be missed.

It still functions as a hotel, although like many establishments of this type, some rooms are rented out long term like apartments. The pub is where the action is and the one at the Tofield Hotel was our home one warm August evening. We had a blast and came away enlightened. The words of the prophets come at 10pm and from people you’d least expect.

Our little group chatted with locals, who embraced us as their own, we learned a bit a history, snapped a few photos and soaked up the ambience. It’s about the building and the its patrons. Out of this has come an ever-growing collection of amazing photos showing a day in the life of these venerable institutions and of which we share a few samples below from this visit.

The Beer Parlour Project is an ambitious multi-year undertaking and we’re capturing a slice of threatened Canadiana. Because it needs to be done and for no other reason. We’re talking about a collaborate effort between large format film photographer Rob Pohl and Team BIGDoer. As it’s played out so far, we’ve also welcomed the occasional guest photographer to help round out the mix. It’s a party-like atmosphere and quite inspiring.

It’s a subject we don’t think has been touched on before, at least not in this way or on such a scale. We’ll be capturing photos on various media along with written and oral histories compiled together into a neat little package. When done we’ll have a presentation well suited for gallery exhibits, web magazines and a book is in the works.

Here’s a list of establishments visited for the Beer Parlour Project so far…

It Continues: Big Valley Inn, It Continues: Elk River Inn Hosmer, It Continues: Greenhill Hotel (we paid it a revisit recently) and It Begins at the Egremont Hotel.

Truth be told, we’re all kind of out of our element here, using equipment that is sometimes ill-suited for the task, and perhaps going in blind, yet we’re going to make something special when we’re done. Neither ambition nor drive are lacking here and the results so far are positive beyond our wildest dreams.

Did we also say it’s fun?

There’s more BP stuff waiting in the wings, so stay tuned.

Know more about our subject: (new window): Tofield Hotel Tofield Alberta.

They’re saying…

”Love the stories, love the history and appreciate the effort to document both in words and pictures before it’s all gone…” Kathleen Raines. (You nailed it!)

Random awesomeness…
Blue Bridge to Nowhere.
The Sidewalks of 10th Ave S Cranbrook.
Grain Elevators at Carbon Alberta.
The Railway.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: August, 2023.
Location: Tofield, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Vince of the Tofield Hotel, Lana, Donna and all the rest inside, Book – Tales of Tofield, UofC photo and records archives and the Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society.

Back door view at the Tofield Hotel, Tofield Alberta.

Lana, a large format film image by Ron Pohl.

Built in 1912 and formerly the Royal Alexandra.