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The Ceeps
The Ceeps is a bar located in London, Ontario Canada frequented by University of Western Ontario students. This is a place where many have enjoyed a pint of beer or some hard liquor. Its most popular hours of operation are on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with lines starting to form around 8pm. Many Western Student clubs do pub crawls and bar nights here as well. The Ceeps is a staple for Western students 19+.

When the weather is nicer the outside patio area better known as Barney’s is open. Barney’s usually opens from April- October, weather dependant. Barney’s outdoor patio serves tasty shareable food along with a variety of different cocktails. As opposed to the indoor area many come here for dinner or happy hour in the summer. The menu differs at Barney’s offering more craft cocktails rather than bar classics.

History
The bar opened its doors in 1890, however, The Ceeps originated as The Grand Pacific Hotel , so called because it opened right beside a stop on the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Grand Pacific hotel was a three-storey brick hotel that opened with twenty-three rooms. Room rates at the Grand Pacific Hotel started at $1 a day. It was frequented by many working around the area. This was a popular location for goers of the railway, it was the perfect place to stay the night as it was just metres away from the railway.

In 1907 the Grand Pacific Hotel was bought by John Menhinick who changed its name to CPR hote l. Due to the fact that the Hotel was in such close proximity to the railway, naturally locals and visitors to London associated the two in close correspondence. However, there was no legal connection with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Menhinick claimed that CPR stood for Comfort, Peace, and Rest. The CPR was a booming business for a few years after Menhinick took over operations and changed the name from Grand Pacific Hotel.

In 1934,  CPR was sold to Tom Richardson, and he obtained a license to sell beer. This was a real turning point for the CPR as it was now a place where men and women could gather and enjoy a pint. The lounge area of the CPR hotel was called the Bamboo lounge. The CPR hotel thrived with the addition of a bar. When Tom Richardson died his widow, Edna Richardson, sold the hotel to Jamie Melnick Ltd. of Toronto for $150,000.

In 1957 a local London family, the Tattersall, bought the hotel and, from then on, the hotel has been in this family lineage. The lounge part of the hotel had become a very popular joint to locals and also became a hang out for University of Western students, who simply referred to the bar as “the Ceeps”.

The shortened name stuck, so much so that in 1971, a “Ceeps” sign went up. In 1981, the Tattersalls saw the lounge area become so popular, the hotel rooms on the upper floors of the 3-storey building are closed. The Bamboo Lounge gets renamed Barney’s after a veteran bartender Barney Hughes. In 1991 CPR opened an on-site brewery and is still brewing beer today. The Ceeps had their own signature brew. In 2007 Colin Tattersall took over from his father, and Barney’s was renovated to become an urban cocktail lounge.

Current Day
The Ceeps is a bar frequented by University of Western students. The crowd on any given night can be a mix of locals, western students and alumni who have come back to relive their glory days at their favourite bar.