John Remai leaves lasting legacy after life of building

The birdhouses he built by hand were also supplied to the Boreal Healthcare Foundation, which supports the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert.

In 2020, Mona, a staff member at the Coronet Hotel, spoke to the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce about the birdhouses and their impact.

“The story of who makes these birdhouses is every bit as interesting as the birdhouses themselves. The birdhouses are made by John Remai, who is my boss. And as many of you know, built the Coronet in the mid-1960s. Mr. Remai could be close to 90, I’m thinking, and every day goes to the office, and then over to his shop to produce these fabulous houses,” she said.

Birdhouses helped other foundations in the Battlefords, Lloydminster and Humboldt. They also raised money for the SPCA and Nutrien Wonderhub.

He spent six or seven days a week building the birdhouses until a stroke in 2022 forced him to stop.

John Remai was born April 11, 1930, in Guernsey, the fifth of 11 children. The family moved to the rural area near Carrot River 10 years later.

At 16, he enrolled in the woodworking program at Technical School in Saskatoon and followed that with an apprenticeship at Shoquist Construction. He became a foreman at 19, but left to create his own construction company, despite being offered shares in Shoquist.

The first place he built was a new home for his parents on the family farm. He then started bidding on contracts to build schools, but gave that up to start constructing apartment buildings.

He married Lucy in 1955. They had six children but divorced in 1987, after all the children were adults. He married Sonja Prescesky in 1990 and hosted family and friends for homemade Hungarian cuisine during holidays. Sonja, his six children, 15 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren have survived him.

In 1962, he started building hotels, including the Clarendon Hotel in North Battleford, the Coronet Hotel in Prince Albert, which still operates, and the Corona Hotel in Yorkton.

The Coronet Hotel still operates in Prince Albert. (Image Credit: Coronet Hotel/Facebook)

He was not done expanding. In 1966, he built the first high-rise residential apartment building in downtown Saskatoon.

After seeing the Imperial 400 Hotel chain during a vacation in the United States, Remai decided the concept would work in Saskatchewan. Not long after, he had completed one in Prince Albert.

“The development bug took hold and before anyone knew it, Imperial 400 Motels followed in Saskatoon, Regina, Yorkton, Swift Current and Lloydminster. This was in addition to dozens of walk-up apartment buildings and three small office buildings that seem to have sprung up in many city and town locales in the province,” said his obituary, posted by Saskatoon Funeral Home.

The horizon still beckoned, so he built the Renaissance Hotel and Condominium Complex in 1984. It still sits on the riverbank in Saskatoon. That was followed by construction of the Delta Hotel, Convention Centre and Office Complex in Regina.

Having made his mark, Remai began giving away money in the 1970s, donating millions of dollars and properties to different charities. He supported minor sports, the food bank, the Friendship Inn and the Salvation Army.

He was a member of the PotashCorp board of directors, the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and St. Anne’s Home.

Other highlights followed, including meeting Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1990 and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson at a hotel in Saskatoon. His strong interest in politics led to his involvement with the Mulroney government.

In his spare time, he drove a 1984 red Lamborghini or was chauffeured in one of his four Rolls-Royce cars. He also indulged his love of fashion with trips to Toronto to buy Versace suits.

He passed away on June 16 at the age of 96.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

by Susan McNeil

John Remai leaves lasting legacy after life of building

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