Farewell, Sutherland Hotel, and maybe the Craig Block, too?

The Craig Block (left) and Sutherland Hotel in 2010

It is sad to see that he Sutherland Hotel suffered a major fire yesterday. Another missing tooth for that stretch of Main Street and another potential source of much-needed affordable housing gone. 

To read more about the Sutherland Hotel, which started off life as the ca. 1882 Cosmopolitan Hotel.

I imagine the neighbouring Craig Block could also be a loss.

It is one of the most important buildings left in the city that tells the story of the city’s early Black community. In 1922, it became home to the Order of Sleeping Car Porters. Locally organized, some believe it to be North America's first Black union as it was created three years before its U.S. counterpart.

Over the decades, many black businesses and organisations have called it home.

To read more about the Craig Block.