BECOMING HISTORY
Dain City Tavern bought by developer, to be demolished this year
In the century it has been standing, Dain City Tavern has served as a brothel, an illegal betting shop, a public house, a private residence and a restaurant.
It also served as a stagecoach inn where horses were bedded in the basement, according to Welland Museum archive and collections co-ordinator Katelynn Best and the research she has conducted about the site on Canal Bank Street.
It was also once a spot for John Deere employees and local industry workers to enjoy a meal and a pint after their shifts.
Also known as “The Dainer,” Dain City Hotel and Dain City House Tavern, demolition of the historic building that has been closed for a few years will ramp up soon.
The property has been purchased by Empire Communities, a developer who is planning to build 2,200 homes in the area, while also investing about $20 million in amenities and improvements for the neighbourhood, including a $2.75-million multi-court sports park, a $6.3-million widening and realignment of Canal Bank Street, $4.3 million into Forks Road, as well as $5 million toward the replacement of the Forks Road Bridge.
At a Feb. 9 council meeting, Stephen Armstrong, principal of Armstrong Planning and Project Management, presented to local politicians on behalf of Empire.
Speaking about Dain City Tavern, he told councillors that the purchase was to ensure the company would have control over the area so nothing would detract from the overall project.
He said the property came up on the market, and he envisioned a new restaurant with a patio overlooking the former canal and residential apartments above.
In an interview Wednesday, Armstrong said a demolition permit has been applied for with the city, which also needs to go through Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.
He expects the building could be razed in the spring.
There are “no plans” formally drafted for the site after the structure is demolished, said Armstrong, adding a groundfloor restaurant with one or two floors of condos or apartments could be a good fit.
Ward 6 Coun. Bonnie Fokkens inquired about buying the establishment for $250,000 in the late 2000s, but the deal never went through for a number of reasons — mostly because she was told she’d need to absorb debt accumulated by its ownership at the time.
She agreed a new eatery would be suitable once the building is knocked down.
“With all the new homes coming in, we’re going to need some businesses. A restaurant would be really nice — watching all the rowers go by in the summer,” she said, adding the site is “zoned for pretty much anything.”
Fokkens said she has noticed an overhang at the main entrance of the tavern appears to have been dismantled.
Dain Manufacturing Co. was established in the area in 1908.
In 1911, John Deere and Co. took over.
As with most industries, the workers tended to live nearby, said Best.
In 1909, land was subdivided adjacent to the plant for its employees to build houses. To go along with this development, there were stores and places to meet.
“There was a need for a relaxing spot after a long shift or even just a place to wait out the rising bridge at shift change,” she said about the tavern being established.
The site has “gone through many owners and many changes over the years,” said Best.
New owners took over in 2013 with plans for extensive renovations. It was reopened in 2015 but closed shortly after.
The John Deere plant closed in 2009 and put about 800 people out of work.
Dusty West, 87, said he went to the tavern every night after work from 5 to 7 from 1970 to 1989.
“I’d have six pints of beer and then go home,” the railway foreman and “leading maintainer” said.
He also recalled how the inside was divided by class of workers. A bar on the right side served labourers and workers, while about five tables to the left were designated for managers, supervisors and leaders of the various industries that headed to the tavern after quitting time.