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The Royal Edward Arms is a social housing apartment building built in 1928 in the historic downtown of Fort William, part of the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It rises 8 storeys above the intersection of South May and George Streets. Originally built in the late 1920s as a hotel, it was highly successful until the 1970s. It sat vacant until 1985, when it was renovated into a 64-unit low-income housing facility. Today it is owned by the City of Thunder Bay. It was added to the Thunder Bay Heritage Register in 1988.〔(City of Thunder Bay - Heritage Registry ). Retrieved November 20, 2009.〕 == History == In response to a growing economy, the need for a larger hotel in the city of Fort William became a point of discussion in 1927. The community had hoped one of the national railways would construct a grand hotel in the city for some time, but eventually took the initiative to build a hotel themselves. Led by local businessman Norman M. Paterson, 800 members of the community raised $419,000 in several months and construction of the hotel commenced in 1928. Upon completion in 1929, the hotel had 105 rooms, each with an ensuite, with an additional 21 "sample rooms" available for day rentals. The hotel featured a large kitchen, dining space for 150 people, a banquet hall, ballroom and convention space.〔(Royal Edward Arms ). Retrieved November 20, 2009.〕 The hotel was owned by Fort William Hotels Limited,〔Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society (Index of Business and Labour Holdings ). Retrieved November 20, 2009.〕 and operated successfully for many years. Notable guests include Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, Governor General Roland Michener, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, Gene Autry, and George Hees. However, by the end of the 1970s the hotel was no longer feasible and closed its doors.〔 The Royal Edward sat vacant for several years and almost faced demolition, but was saved when a non-profit housing corporation obtained the funds to renovate the building into apartments. The renovations were led by architectural firm Ranta and Tett, and cost $2,478,305.〔 It is now operated by the Thunder Bay District Housing Corporation under a lease from the City of Thunder Bay. The lease expires on July 31, 2015. 〔(TBDHC - Royal Edward Arms ). Retrieved November 20, 2009.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Royal Edward Arms」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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