Jim Cain, of Quyon’s Cain family, bought Gavan’s Hotel in December, and has a vision for helping it become the magnetic hub he knew it to be in his childhood.

The purchase came after Cain heard rumours that

previous owner Nick Matechuk would consider selling the business, after nearly 40 years of ownership.

Matechuk bought the iconic tavern in 1983 from Lennox and Marguerite Gavan, who themselves purchased the hotel in 1947. After a large fire, the Gavans rebuilt the hotel in the early 1950s and added what’s now known as the Shamrock Lounge in 1961.

“It has historically been not just a place for people to go for a beer and listen to music, it’s been a destination for the region,” Cain said. “We want to be bringing all those people back to town for events and music and great food.”

Cain said this means reinvigorating the hotel’s Shamrock Lounge, a project he has already started with the building of a new stage.

He is also in the process of redesigning the menu and has hired a chef with Michelin-star experience to help him do so.

“We’re not building bougie food. He’s coming in to help us develop a menu that has an emphasis on good pub-style food,” Cain said.

“But any time we can do something fresh, instead of freezer bag, we’re doing it. Anytime we can work with a local supplier, as opposed to a big, faceless company, we’re going to do that.”

For Cain, this means homemade bread, onion rings using freshly cut onions, and smash burgers instead of the burger patty typical to fast food joints.

Most importantly, though, Cain’s vision for Gavan’s will include more live music.

“We heard from a lot of people in the Pontiac that they thought [Gavan’s] had closed years ago because there weren’t as many events happening, and there wasn’t as much promotion,” Cain said.

He plans to make major investments in bringing more artists to the stage, as well as in staffing and visibility to support these events.

St. Patrick’s Day tradition lives on

Cain did not miss a beat with starting this work. For the past month and half, the hotel has been hosting live music shows every Saturday night.

But he is most excited that the legendary St. Patrick’s Day festivities, which Covid-19 shut down last year, will be taking the stage once again in the hotel’s Shamrock Lounge.

As per tradition, Gavan’s will host the event the weekend prior to the Irish holiday. This year it will be on March 12.

Cain said Ottawa Valley country music singer Gail Gavan has been instrumental in bringing this event together.

She is the youngest child of the hotel’s original owners, and grew up performing on the stage.

Gavan said she was relieved to see the hotel go to local hands.

“It’s going to breath fresh air into it again.”

With Gavan’s help, Cain has organized an entire slate of performances, including step dancing, acts from across the region, and an appearance from Gavan herself.

Cain is also planning for the event to be his opportunity to meet the community as the hotel’s new owner.

“That’ll be the actual day where I can say: ‘Hello, we’re the Cain family. Nice to meet you.’”

Also new this year will be what Cain is calling the ‘Drown the Shamrock’ party, to be hosted the Sunday following St. Patrick’s Day, which will feature even more live music, for those who have not yet had their fill.

Part of a bigger picture

Cain’s vision doesn’t end there. Eventually he hopes to revive the hotel’s rooms so that it becomes a destination vacation spot rather than simply a place to sleep after a night at the bar.

He plans to work with other local tourism operators and service providers to create weekend experience packages, like a snowshoeing package or a sugar bush package, that draw people from outside the region.

“We want to be partnering with everybody who provides services in the region and create that rising tide that lifts all boats,” Cain said.

Most important to Cain, though, is to preserve the hotel’s authenticity.

“This isn’t some corporate guy from out of town who’s trying to make money off the region,” Cain said. “Investing in the town of Quyon is always something that I wanted to figure out a way to participate in. To me, Gavan’s is part of the heart of the community.”

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