Al Capone may have downed a drink or two at Woodbine Hotel
The documentary, Finding Al, is tracking the tales of Al Capone across the prairies
A Canadian-made documentary is unearthing the connections Al Capone had to Canada's prairie provinces.
Kelly-Anne Riess, producer and director of Finding Al, set out to track Capone's bootlegging roots and collect stories to corroborate his whereabouts in the roaring '20s.
Riess started in Moose Jaw, Sask., where there was an established history of Capone's presence in the area.
"There's lots of stories about Al Capone being there. A local barber claimed to cut his hair there. He apparently had a medical emergency while he was there, he had his tonsils removed," Riess told CBC's Information Radio Wednesday.
From there, Riess said she decided to follow the Soo Line Railroad, how Capone would have gone in and out of Moose Jaw.
"I found that there were stories all the way along and then some of those stories took me to Winnipeg," Riess said. "He's rumoured to have stayed at the Woodbine Hotel."
Dana Williams, manager of the Woodbine Hotel, told Riess she was familiar with rumours that Capone had stayed in the hotel during the prohibition since things were "a little looser up here."
"There were rumours there was a speakeasy in the basement. There was also a bowling alley, a pool hall, an oyster bar; I wouldn't have a hard time believing that at all," Williams said.
Riess said she isn't surprised by the connection to Winnipeg, she thinks it lines up with her other research.
"There were big liquor barons in Saskatchewan but they bought a lot of their supplies in Winnipeg and they did the printing of the labels in Winnipeg," Riess explained.
Plus, Winnipeg was a rail hub and trains were how they were moving alcohol across the country, she said.
"There's so many stories, it's hard not to believe," she said. "It just kind of corroborates that he was operating out of the prairies even though there was no paper trail per se."
Kelly-Anne Riess and her team invite any Winnipeggers with old stories passed down by family and friends to get in touch with them. You can email Riess at [email protected] or look up their website, or check their Facebook page.