Did you know that the longest-running licensed establishment in Canada is located in St. Catharines?  And did you realize that this popular tavern is owned and operated by two Brock graduates?

The Mansion House, located on 5 William St. in downtown St. Catharines, was originally constructed in the early 1800s then turned into a hotel until a fire destroyed part of the downtown core in 1859. After its rebuilding and final name change, the Mansion House was officially opened for business in 1868.

When the opportunity arose a few years ago, Peter Tourountzas (BBA ’03) and Craig Stewart (BBA ’01), best friends since Grade 3, purchased the pub and haven’t looked back. Acknowledging that their Brock degrees gave them the tools they needed to be successful in owning a local business, Tourountzas and Stewart and are excited to take part in Brock Days Alumni Weekend. In fact, they’ll open the Mansion House on Friday, Sept. 16 to Brock alumni where the Alumni Pub Night will take place to kick off the new format of Brock Days Alumni Weekend.

This event is exclusive to alumni from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and your first drink is on us. Tickets are $10 each and include an alumni glass, a complimentary drink, delicious food and live entertainment. The Smoothies take the stage around 10 p.m. and we’ll also be giving away tickets to the Sheepdogs concert, which takes place the following week, Wednesday, Sept. 21 at the Mansion House.

It’s evident that Tourountzas and Stewart take pride in being one of Niagara’s premier live music venues. Tourountzas says that “bringing quality, live music to people of all ages in the Niagara region is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.”  The Mansion House supports many local musicians, some of whom are Brock students, alumni or members of the St. Catharines community.

Their final words of advice for Brock students?  “Take a chance. After all, ‘a turtle never advances without sticking out its neck’.”

For more information about Brock Days Alumni Weekend, or to register for Alumni Pub Night, visit brocku.ca/brock-days

You can win tickets to see the Sheepdogs, simply by attending Alumni Pub Night at the Mansion House on Sept. 16. (Photo credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Darren Calabrese)