26 May 2006
Royal Alexandra Hall Celebrates 100 Anniversary This Year
Cranbrook - The spectacular Royal Alexandra Hall at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel in Cranbrook
is celebrating it's 100th Anniversary this year. Although there are many other rentals of the room throughout the year by public and
private groups, these three particular events will showcase the many attributes of the Hall for community use including its' superb
acoustics and heritage architecture.
Built in 1906 as the "Grand Cafe" of the sumptuous "Royal Alexandra Hotel" of the Canadian Pacific Railway in
Winnipeg, the 2800 sq.ft cafe was saved when the hotel was demolished in 1971. Stored in a semi-trailer (and mostly
forgotten) for 25 years, the Museum purchased the hundred of pieces in 1999, and through various programs was able to restore the room
as it was originally, at a cost of well over 1/2 million dollars, plus other parts of the new buildings required around the Hall to
allow it to function.
Today, this heritage room has a vivacious new life as the centrepiece of the 25,000+ sq.ft facilities of the new museum complex, which
also contains an additional 25,000 sq.ft of luxurious railway cars on display. The Hall is a popular community space used by many public
and private renters, revenue from which assists the annual operations and special heritage maintenance procedures.
This first commemorative event will be a "Sontatina Sunday", a special advanced music student recital put on by the East
Kootenay Music Teachers Association on Sunday, 2 - 4pm 4 Jun 2006. The acoustics of this Hall are superb according to the
many musicians who have performed in it. The students will perform on the 1864 John Broadwood & Sons Concert Grand Piano, which was
donated in 2003 by Prof. Helmut Brauss and his wife, mezzo-soprano Kuniko Furuhata-Brausss of Victoria. This
heritage instrument will allow the students to experience an older action than on contemporary pianos. Seating will be up to 220, and
tickets are available at the Museum and Lotus Books.
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