Tonight, Renée and I are spending the evening at the historic Fort Garry Hotel, which was (I believe) the first hotel to open in Winnipeg.

Built by the Grand Truck Pacific Railway in 1913 (when Winnipeg was referred to as “the Chicago of the North”), the hotel has been a fixture of the Winnipeg skyline for years. It’s a gorgeous example of turn-of-the-century architecture, but was nearly closed after falling into heavy debt in the early ‘90’s.

Thankfully there was a drive to keep the hotel open, and after fundraising, a savvy marketing campaign, and extensive restorations, the Hotel is doing well.

The Hotel holds a special place for Renée and I, as it was one of the first places that we went out to when we first started dating. The main floor piano lounge, called the “Oval Room”, is utterly gorgeous and never fails to leave me feeling like I’ve been transported to another age.

As with most heritage buildings, the rumours have been passed around for years that the Hotel is haunted. Workers have reported strange sounds, hotel guests have seen bizarre lights, and Room 202 is said to be visited by the long dead ghost in a white ball gown. We’ve never seen anything spooky there yet, but I have my fingers crossed…

What’s even better is that the cost of a room includes brunch for two the next day. I am a brunch monster, and the Hotel has possibly the best brunch in town. I’m already getting hungry. Brunch is just so… decadent.

I’m hoping we can get a tour. I’ll take pictures if we do - the ballroom is supposed to be magnificent.