CN Hotel changes hands

Ken Johnston

It’s official! The CN Hotel has changed ownership!
About three years ago Jeanni Brumwell of Kenora and formerly of Rainy River started looking at buying the business. “In March Linda threw a number at me that I liked,” said Jeanni on Friday.
Over the next few months the process of buying it began and last Tuesday it became official!
Brumwell has enlisted her sister Marion Brumwell as a partner and a manager of the business. There is also a silent partner from Kenora who did not want to be named.
“I have always wanted to retire to Rainy River,” said Jeanni. “This will allow me to do that.”
She is currently in a high stress job as a manager for Lefarge out of Kenora and Red Lake. “I wanted something to do that is less stressful.” And while she knows the hotel business can be stressful, “It is my stress.”
Jeanni plans to work at Lefarge for a few more years and then retire in Rainy River and run the business with her partners. Until then Marion will be the go to person for anyone wanting to do business with the CN Hotel.
They have plans for the place. Number one is an outdoor patio on the west side of the hotel to accommodate the smokers that can not smoke inside anymore. While it won’t be licensed for drinks immediately they plan to apply for a license once it is built.
Also right at the top of the list for changes is to get the dining room reopened to the public. It has been used for meetings and catering over the past 15 years or so, but years ago used to be open all the time.
For now the menu will stay the same as will prices on food and drinks in the bar. Marion said they hope to also bring in some kind of entertainment at least once a month starting with Karoake this Friday.
“We would also like to upgrade the rooms and the exterior as well as add air conditioning to the rooms, but that all will come in time with money,” said Jeanni.
Hours of operation have changed slightly. The bar will now be open Thurs. to Sat. from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., Mon. to Wed. 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday Noon to 9 p.m.
Jeanni feels that she is getting in at the right time. “Many people (in Kenora) my age are looking at retiring here in the next 10-15 years and property up there is very expensive or taken. Property is cheap here. I think this town is going to boom when that happens.”
As for former owners Brian and Linda Russell, they plan to stay in Rainy River and have a home north of the tracks that they have comfortably retired in. Both are a stone’s throw away when Marion and Jeanni need help and Brian was called on when this interview was conducted Friday to help with a frost problem in a cooler. “I know every nook and cranny and there probably isn’t one I haven’t crawled into or gotten stuck in, in this place,” said Brian.
Linda said she will mostly miss the patrons and the relationships she has forged with them over the nearly 16 years they owned the business. “I will see them on the other side of the bar though.”
She also said she is going to miss the big state of the art kitchen the hotel has. “I am still trying to figure out how I will do all my canning in my little kitchen at the house.”
The retirees plan to do some travelling when the reality of being retired settles in. “I woke up at 5 a.m. the other day but did not need to any more,” said Linda. On Friday it was starting to settle in... she slept in to 7 a.m.

Both the Russells wished the Brumwells best of luck and offered their support as the learning curve progresses.
“It is all very new to us,” said Jeanni, “I have run businesses but not like this.”
While it is new to them the CN Hotel is likely the oldest business in town, having been built in 1903.