DENZIL — The Denzil Bar & Hotel had some special guests make a stop at the end of July, with a unique way to capture the history and spirit of the local watering hole.
Chris Doering, along with his wife Connie Biggart and friends Rob and Margarit Pohl, had arranged a special stop at the Denzil business on July 19, using an array of cameras to document the visit. Armed with a vintage Ebony 4x5” view camera, 35mm film cameras and digital cameras, the foursome has created a blog called The Beer Parlour Project.
The two couples often travelled to small towns, taking in the local history and stopping at the local hotels for lunch. They soon realized many of these hotels held a history of their own. In 2019, the group started planning a tour under the project name, with the hopes of beginning in 2020; however, the pandemic hit the world. Finally, The Beer Parlour Project rebooted in 2022.
Since the project started, more than 30 hotels have been featured on the online blog, with a lot more yet to be seen.
“We have many others lined up and more are coming on board every day. Now, they’re calling us. We expect to be at this for at least 10 years,” said Doering in an interview with SaskToday.
A visit from The Beer Parlour Project can last several hours. Starting in mid to late afternoon during business hours, the group chat with the owners, some of the regulars and some of those who know the history of the building and community. There have been many times the group ends the visit when business hours are over.
“We do in-depth interviews, chat, tour the building, have dinner, and really get to know the place. Connect with it. We always search out oldtimers and local characters ahead of time and invite them down. The resultant article not only includes photos, but a bit of history and interesting or humorous quotes from people interviewed,” added Doering.
Now, not just any hotel qualifies for a visit from the bloggers. Buildings that were or continue to operate as a hotel during the height of the beer parlours era, around the 1960s and older, are what the group is looking for.
“We’ve visited establishments as old as 1904 to as new as the late 1950s. Most pubs and hotels we have stopped at are from the 1910s to the 1920s era,” added Doering.
While some of these buildings may not stand out visually, Doering did say that they are all unique with the stories they hold.
“They all share common traits it seems - they’re old and tired. They’re run by passionate people who often scrape by. The buildings are often time capsules from another era, decorated in the most eclectic and low-cost ways, and seem out of place in a modern world, totally out of place. Many are close to shutting down and some have already closed since our visit.”
Although photos of the visit to the Denzil Bar & Hotel have not been shared on their website for a few months due to film processing. Those interested in watching for their local watering hole can check out the Beer Parlour Project’s website, https://www.BeerParlourProject.com.
