Growing up every town had one.
And always, without fail, the most dismal, decrepit and depressing bar or hotel around. Even when I was young.
The Calgary Location, open from 1912 until 2008, when - being a cornerstone of the cities drug and murder trade, was finally closed down.
View Gallery: Calgary Cecil Hotel
Then there was the Edmonton Cecil Hotel, which apparently opened in 1906, and closed in 2003 due to building and health code violations.
Video: Remembering the Edmonton Cecil Hotel
Then there was the Cecil Hotel in Lethbridge which first appears in my searches for 1953 (but probably built before and rebranded later as a Cecil Hotel); demolished in 2002
Link: Photo Lethbridge Cecil Hotel
And the Medicine Hat Cecil Hotel, which opened in 1912 and is still open, the bar at least, the building around is said to be crumbling down.
Of course, there was a Moose Jaw Cecil Hotel as well, opening in 1907 and burning down in 1975. A brief history here.
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This list could grow formidably long. I guess the question is - Who in the hell was Cecil? I mean - I have yet to come across a congruent reason why so many of the hotels were named after this one - enigmatic? person...