Originally published in Lake of the Woods Area News, Volume 55, Number 5, Winter 2025
In a bold move aimed at restoring its heritage and revitalizing its urban core, the City of Kenora has taken steps to expropriate the historic Kenricia Hotel on Main Street. The decision, approved unanimously by City Council, comes amid concerns about its ongoing neglect, along with a growing demand for preserving Kenora’s historical landmarks.
In the announcement, Mayor Andrew Poirier described the Kenricia as “a symbol of our community’s rich history” and emphasized that its redevelopment is essential for creating an “activated and dynamic downtown.”
Stace Gander, Director of Economic Development and Tourism and Acting Co-CAO, added, “This project not only safeguards an important piece of Kenora’s heritage, but also supports our vision of a vibrant, thriving downtown. Restoring this landmark will attract visitors, support local businesses, and open new opportunities for economic activity and improved community vibrancy.”
The once opulent downtown hotel has declined over the past 20 years or more due to little or no investment in repairs or upgrades on the exterior of the building. Gander says maintaining the “status quo” and leaving the heritage building to further decline is no longer acceptable. “The City’s position is that expropriation for the purposes of community improvement and heritage preservation is the only viable option.”
He sees this as a huge opportunity to deal with seasonality issues many Kenora businesses face. “Rather than having lots of business for three months of the year, we would now have more year-round activity right downtown with investment and an improved business model at this key location; perhaps even a conference centre.” Gander says the City recognizes the benefits of Kenora being just two hours away from Winnipeg, and that many businesspeople have a connection to the region already as cottage owners or visitors. “It may be that some of the Winnipeg conference circuit is tired of the usual meeting options and Kenora could be a good alternative being just two hours away, on the TransCanada Highway, with a lot more to offer in terms of lifestyle and entertainment.”
“Consider what an additional 70 to 90 hotel rooms at 80 per cent occupancy could mean for the downtown. All that foot traffic going into shops and spending money.”
While this helps address some of the economic issues, there’s a social benefit as well. “More foot traffic equals people feeling safer. Look at Matiowski Market days where there’s up to 2,000 people walking around, feeling more comfortable downtown. The end goal is to have an active, busy, and safe downtown.”
Construction is expected to take up to two years. During that time, the benefits will include work for local contractors and an additional injection of cashflow by new, out of town contractors needing places to stay, eat and shop.
Process and legal framework
The city is following the Expropriations Act of Ontario, as well as applicable heritage and planning legislation. You can read more at kenora.ca/build-and-invest/kenricia-revitalization-project.
Key steps include:
- Council Resolution
- Notice of Application
- Hearing of Necessity
- Certificate of Approval
- Plan of Expropriation
- Notice of Expropriation
- Offer of Compensation
- Possession
Estimated project timeline
1. Expropriation: 5 to 8 months
2. Expression of interest: 2 to 3 months
3. Construction: 18 months to 2 years
Council Resolution and Notice of Application have been completed and the City is currently awaiting a date for the Hearing of Necessity. Owners have thirty days to request a Hearing of Necessity from the Ontario Land Tribunal, to challenge the need or extent of the expropriation. If requested, an Inquiry Officer is appointed, and a hearing is held. The Inquiry Officer recommendations are advisory only however, and Council makes the final decision on whether to proceed with the expropriation.
“The expropriation process is very prescribed,” said Gander. “Once we’re three quarters of the way through the process we will craft an expression of interest based on what we’ve heard the community wants. We will then have an intake process where developers will submit their visions.” This, he said, could take up to 90 days.
After that, he indicates there will be an evaluation by an internal committee following an established matrix. This will be presented to Council. “The project will be awarded based on what’s best for the City.”
Gander said the City is looking at similar projects that have achieved comparable results, one being the Arlington Hotel in Paris, Ontario. “It’s not that different from the Kenricia. The Arlington went through a period where there was minimal investment in the hotel. With new owners came a new vision and investment. Now the hotel is a destination and a perfect example of what a renewed vision and investment can achieve.”
While there are still many hoops to jump through, Gander is “very confident” the project will proceed.
Concerns
While many support the move, some critics and community advocates have raised concerns related to housing and the vulnerable people who currently live in the hotel, and for the businesses operating there.
Gander notes that residential tenants are protected by the Residential Tenancies Act, a law that sets out the rights and responsibilities for both landlords and tenants in residential properties, aiming to create a fair and balanced relationship. In Kenora, social housing is directed by the Kenora District Services Board (KDSB). Once the City takes ownership of the Kenricia, tenants will be required to seek other housing. “While it’s unfortunate that this is the case, we are working with KDSB to minimize any negative impacts. In a perfect world, everyone impacted will find more suitable housing.”
Businesses located in the property are protected under the Appropriations Acts. “They have to be offered compensation and if they don’t feel it’s fair and adequate they can appeal, similar to the owners of the Kenricia,” said Gander. “We’re working with professionals in the field to assess fair market value to determine compensation.” He adds this isn’t entirely new territory for the city. “We work with different landlords and businesses through the Economic Development Department, so it’s possible we can find some synergies that benefit everyone either in the Kenricia or perhaps at another location in Kenora. Businesses will have the option to stay and continue to operate until the new developer is secured. It’s difficult to say what types of commercial tenants a new developer will want in. We will have to wait and see what that looks like.”
Non-negotiables
Some of the criteria Gander says will drive the developer selection process include: a clear commitment to investment, job creation, a sound operating model, experience doing similar projects and the success of those projects, and strength of the developer’s management team. Additionally, development will need to be in accordance with the requirements of the Kenricia’s heritage designation as a property of defined cultural and heritage significance. “We are going to have in place a very strategic and purposeful evaluation process to mitigate risk.”
What is expropriation?
Expropriation is a legal process that allows the government or a municipality to take ownership of private property, like a building or land, for public use. This can happen when the property is needed for projects that benefit the community.
The process follows strict legal rules, outlined in the Expropriations Act of Ontario, to ensure it is fair and transparent. Property owners are compensated based on the property’s fair market value, and efforts are made to support those affected throughout the process. Read more at ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e26.
History worth restoring
The decision to expropriate the Kenricia Hotel is one of those rare municipal interventions that seeks to balance heritage, economic development, and social concerns. It underscores Kenora’s awareness that its downtown core is not just about buildings, but about identity, history, and community well-being.
“There’s so much history worth restoring here,” notes Gander. He recalls when Burton Cummings played at a summer concert in Kenora and talked about playing with the Guess Who at the Kenricia in the early 60s. “You get that tingling feeling of the excitement that was once there.”
“I hope it can be restored to its former glory, where all the commercial spaces are rented, the restaurants are open for special occasions and casual dining, and the rooms are filled with people who want to discover what our local businesses and beautiful community have to offer.”
He says that restoring the Kenricia is the cornerstone of the revitalization of Kenora’s downtown on its busiest corner.
“It’s the first domino that will make meaningful changes for the vibrancy and economic development overall of downtown Kenora and our community as a whole.”
See “Kenricia Hotel was built on the hope of a promising future” for an in-depth look at the rich history of this iconic Kenora landmark.
