Sexsmith Hotel

The first Sexsmith Hotel was a wood frame two story structure on Main Street, just north of Dr. McCrum’s Office (Item #7), built in 1921 by Jacob “Hank” Weicker. Three years later, Mary Hudson built the larger Connaught Hotel just north of the bank on Main Street, but, since the Sexsmith Hotel acquired a beer license in 1924 when prohibition ended, it garnered a greater profit. With the settlement boom of the late 1920s, Weicker decided to build a larger hotel on this site, which was opened on New Years’ day, 1929. A two-story, L-shaped structure with 16 rooms and hot-and-cold running water, it was the scene of much activity as it held the only tavern in the district as well as a restaurant. It was also the scene of many banquets, and was visited by Governor General and Lady Bessborough on their tour of the Peace River Country in 1933. In 1942 it was acquired by Henry Ranch and Joe Pondick, who ran it until 1964 when it was taken over by John Thoreson. It burned down in late 1972 and was soon replaced by this building.