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Park Royal Hotel Closing Day

Sep 5, 2004

By Catherine Barr

It was a bitter-sweet goodbye celebration last Sunday afternoon as owners, staff, family and guests gathered in the English-style gardens of West Vancouver's grand old Park Royal Hotel for one last farewell. Built in 1957 by West Vancouver's late Frank Bernard, the hotel is being torn down to make room for a new housing development. In its day, the hotel, pub and restaurant played a major role in the celebrations of many North Shore families. From weddings to wakes, birthdays to business, this landmark has seen it all. If these walls could talk they'd whisper about famous faces, discreet dinners and celebrity sightings the likes of which haven't taken place anywhere else. But even after the ivy covered brick walls, dining room and music are gone, the stories, the memories and the friendships will live on forever.  So cheers to the Park Royal Hotel and its people - you have been an unforgettable part of history and we salute you as you are laid to rest. Old friend, you will be missed - more than you know.

Catherine Barr, Vancouver's celebrity events reporter and photographer, is supported online by CLR Communications Ltd.

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