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Latlng: (43.302097, -79.947173)

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The Plainsman Restaurant

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Discovered by crazycarclub
Created Oct 08 2012
Recent status Demolished
Category Commercial
City Hamilton, Ontario
Location # 5581
Liked by 0 User(s)

Opened in the early 50's by Stanley Coates as a truckstop then upgraded to a buffet in the late 50's. Coates sold the business in 1975 and moved away to retire. In recent years, increased competition, the 2003 power failure and SARS scare, the business suffered a steady decline of customers.

Land registry records show the federal government slapped liens on the property in 2004 and again in 2006 for unpaid levies under the Excise Tax Act, and in 2005 the city put a lien on the property to collect more than $110,000 in taxes.

Registry documents also show the property was transferred in November 2006 from The Plainsman Dining Rooms Limited to the numbered company controlled by Joan Havens. That transfer, for more than $964,000, was partly financed with a mortgage given to a Florida investment company.

At the same time as that deal, the city and federal liens were discharged, along with other mortgages.

The restaurant enjoyed a moment of television fame in 2004 when it was a location for the NBC-TV series The West Wing. The Plainsman was an Iowa retirement home for two episodes.

This location has been empty since 2006 and appears to have no vandalizism. No POE could be found. I will return and check again for interior shots. If this shouldn't be FM let me know ill change it.

Latlng: (43.302097, -79.947173)

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avatar of MikaelSparks

MikaelSparks My grandfather owned this for my whole childhood. Was an amazing restaurant. Even had 2 Ballrooms. He lived upstairs and my Great Grandparents lived in another apartment upstairs. He sold it around 2001 or so. Makes me sad to see it dilapidated. I used to love going there.

Apr 15 2021  • 0 like(s)
avatar of Greg

Greg Noted. Next time I will be sure to but for now it's still there. I may return during daylight sometime and if I do I'll be sure to take it down.

Jan 14 2018  • 0 like(s)
unknown user avatar

Unknown user Most likely it was one of two people in our 'fan club' :) Please rip these up if/when you find them.

Jan 13 2018  • 0 like(s)
avatar of Greg

Greg While there was no distinct sign of a squatter living in this building, there were a few jackets and unfinished drinks lying around (normal enough for an abandoned place). It was dark at this point so we left, just to be on the safe side incase someone genuinely was upstairs. Attached a photo of the sign in my image gallery (January 2018). Also note that there was some points where the carpet felt like it had no hardwood underneath it and would give out into a basement (?) Watch your step.

Jan 11 2018  • 0 like(s)
avatar of Greg

Greg Found easy POE, but someone had tried to hide it behind bushes/ propped plywood to conceal it. When we were in the building we heard noises coming from the upstairs level, almost like footsteps but we wrote them off as animals. We moved a bit deeper into the building and found a sign reading 'OAP can suck my balls.' We aren't really sure if a squatter who was fed up with people exploring put this there (maybe explaining upstairs noises) or someone trying to be funny.

Jan 11 2018  • 0 like(s)
avatar of Digitisation

Digitisation All ground level entry points have been cemented shut with bricks. Second level entry seems possible still with some climbing

Jul 07 2017  • 0 like(s)
avatar of LivingGhost

LivingGhost There is a ground entry level, or atleast was the last time I went.

Nov 25 2015  • 0 like(s)
avatar of vivalarevolution

vivalarevolution somone smashed the buffet counter :'( i was there about a week ago. the place has completley gone to hell

May 19 2013  • 0 like(s)
avatar of Finz519

Finz519 Drove past yesterday. I saw some guy loading a stove. He looked more like a scrapper then anything else. He was having a hard time with it.

Apr 20 2013  • 0 like(s)
avatar of senorchang

senorchang Oh oops! I'm not a full member (yet) so I had no way of knowing that there was already a location for this, thanks for letting me know!

Feb 24 2013  • 0 like(s)
avatar of ground state

ground state Didn't even notice that 'til you said it Doom. Strange how this place looks so different from when RnR photographed it that I didn't even recognize it. Scary when these places start to all blend together ha ha. Not sure what that means!

Feb 24 2013  • 0 like(s)
avatar of doom vs

doom vs Dupe of fm location # 5581 by RnR.

Feb 24 2013  • 0 like(s)
avatar of timekeeper

timekeeper Yes, this was previously posted by me but then removed...

Nov 02 2012  • 0 like(s)
avatar of SuperSonic

SuperSonic didn't I see this site on here before?

Oct 14 2012  • 0 like(s)