“The Royal Alex”

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“New Year’s Eve” Jan 1 , 1913 , the Royal Alex Hotel at Higgins & Main St in Winnipeg was ablaze with lights , laughter and music. It was described in the local media of the time – the newspapers that the dining room of the “Alex” and cafe were both crowded to the hilt with all kinds and varieties of gay supper parties and party sorts, a very large orchestra itself making the whole proceedings even more lively and full of fun and frolic. After 12 o’clock on the dot the grand ballroom itself was thrown open to the world and the revellers. Dancing and more dancing into the evening and frolicking ensued.

SIR JAMES AIKINS – by George Siamandas. Sir James Aikins who was appointed Manitoba’s 9th Lieut Gov on August 3, 1916, and was the founder of Winnipeg’s oldest law firm Aikins MaCaulay Thorvaldson founded in 1879. Aikins was the son of Sir James Cox …

January 19 – January 19, 1958 – At a meeting at the Royal Alex Hotel, the Canadian Football Council withdraws from Canadian Rugby Union and becomes the Canadian Football League. Royal Alexandra Hotel, May 1963. UofM Archives & Special Collections, …

The Winnipeg Time Machine: NEW YEAR’S EVE IN WINNIPEG – All the top players that appeared at Pantages or the Orpheum Theatre stayed at the Royal Alex. And when the President to CPR came to stay every employee wore white gloves. For decades the Royal Alex was the social centre of Winnipeg …

However during the previous new years eve dancing itself had not begun at earnest since Dec 31 itself had been the “Lord’s Day” – that was Sunday. Strictly on Sunday dancing along with many things , some considered vices at the time , were strictly forbidden under the 1906 “Lord’s Day Act”. However at that point in time , the previous year of 1912, when midnight did arrive and make its fortune known – then the laughing crowd had spilled into the lobby of the grand Royal Alex hotel from the “Oak Grill” and he Dining Room and hurried up those stairs to the “Colonial Ball Room” towards the second floor. The orchestra had been set up well in advance for the dancers and as the dance floor itself filled up, they put out their cigarettes , the musicians finished their New Year’s drinks and the orchestra began to play.

The Winnipeg Time Machine: NEW YEAR’S EVE IN WINNIPEG – Winnipeg’s old jewel of a hotel was demolished in 1971. Located in the toughest part of town, the CPR sold off the station and the Royal Alex site has remained a green piece of land. In small irony to the CPR railway that supplanted the …

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