THUNDER BAY - A historic building that overlooks downtown Port Arthur has received recognition from the owners who were able to repurpose it into something for the present, while still preserving the past.
The Courthouse Hotel recently received the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation.
A ceremony was held at Queen’s Park on Feb. 21 where the building was recognized.
“It’s very significant to the owners of the hotel and all the staff at the hotel who are really honoured to be nominated and be the recipient of this award,” said Chris Kowbuz, general manager of the Courthouse Hotel.
The original structure was completed in 1924 and first served as the Port Arthur District Courthouse before becoming the Superior Court of Justice until 2014.
“It was very important for the hotel owners to maintain as much history of the building as possible,” Kowbuz said. “If you tour the hotel you will see moldings, baseboard, and original oak doors. All those features, it was very important for the owners to create that unique experience for all the guests who stay with us.”
Renovations on the structure began in 2017 and cost more than $5 million to transform the courthouse into a 40-room boutique hotel, which opened in the spring of 2019.
Certain parts of the building were required by the Ontario Heritage Trust to be preserved, including the judge’s dais, the jury boxes, and the grand staircase.
“It’s historically significant because of its location in the community,” said Andrew Cotter, chair of the Thunder Bay Heritage Advisory Committee. “It is overlooking Lake Superior in Thunder Bay. It was built in 1924. It has a lot of heritage features on the exterior of the building such as Manitoba tyndall stone, interior, the millwork, the main court room has been maintained largely.”
“It’s really important for our city to preserve buildings such as this,” Cotter added. “We don’t have a lot of funding to actually preserve these buildings. A lot of times these large structures are very expensive to operate and very expensive to renovate. We are very happy with this owner because they have adapted this building as a hotel and that pretty much ensures the future of this building for a long time to come.”
Laurie Abthorpe, heritage researcher for the city of Thunder Bay, said this is the first time a structure in the city has received this award and it’s important to celebrate historical buildings in the community.
“History should be celebrated in all facets and brings pride and awareness to the community and a sense of belonging as well,” she said. “These structures that surrounded us play a heavy role in that.”
“We have had such amazing comments from guests,” Kowbuz added. “We are very thankful for all the support we have had from the guests who have stayed with us and the community. Just being appreciative of what we were able to do with the property and that we were able to preserve a unique piece of Thunder Bay’s history.”
