This year marked the 100th birthday of the Quinsam Hotel.
According to archives from the Museum at Campbell River, Tom Laffin began construction of the hotel in 1917. Later that year Prohibition was enforced and Laffin sold the partially-completed building to Ken Bergstrom.
Bergstrom continued the construction but sold the building to Jim English who completed the construction of the building circa 1923-1925.
In 1926, English added a cafe and barbershop and then ran the establishment for 35 years before partnering with Jack Ross in 1959.
In 1961, Ross decided to expand and bought the store next door, Crawford’s, expanding seating in the bar from 125 to 200 seats, adding on to the cafe and constructing eight additional hotel rooms.
In 1967, Ross bought out the English family. He ran the business until 1976 when he sold it to Eli Katz.
Katz changed the name to the Kerdan and put plywood over the pool table to make a stage, bringing in dancing girls as entertainment. He went on to sell the hotel to an insurance adjuster.
From 1982-1989, John Jerry owned the Quinnie and it was he who first started bringing bands in every night.
After Jerry, the Uzzell family bought the business. During their time they opened the liquor store at the back of the building. They sold the business in 2007 to the Cape Mudge Band.
The band kept things mostly the same but moved the liquor store to their property at Quinsam Crossing in 2011.
The bar closed temporarily in 2015. Business was slow and the band hoped to sell.
But the doors didn’t stay closed for long. Later that year Fred Mohammed and Brian Welz bought and reopened the Quinnie.