Gladys Pierce's keys for the Hopkins Dining Parlour are being handed over to the new owners today. 

Mrs.Pierce and her family have been a part of Hopkins Dining Parlour for over 40 years and for health reasons she can no longer run the restaurant.

“Every time something like this happens to me it puts me in a very upset mood because this isn’t what I want to do,” Pierce said.

The Wayne Pierce family bought the building in July of 1978 and opened the restaurant the next year.

Housed in a 1905 Victorian-style mansion, Hopkins is one of 20 Moose Jaw properties on the Canadian Register of Historic Places. In addition to the impressive architecture inside and out, Hopkins is also the home to a collection of antiques including pictures, stained and leaded glass, collectibles and furnishings.

There is also the legend of Minnie Hopkins. She was the original mistress of the house and her friendly ghost is rumored to still wander the rooms in the 115-year-old building.

Hopkins has also had some groundbreaking menu items over the years. The restaurant claims to be the first to offer chicken wings in its early days.

Pierce said it will be the people that she’ll miss the most.

“As I’ve said before our motto is good people serving good food to good people and we’ve always had good people in our city and the tourists have been wonderful,” she said.

The restaurant has always kept Pierce on her toes and she said she’ll find ways to keep busy.

“I’ve always loved the place and all the people, so I don’t think I’ll just disappear,” she said.

Pierce said she doesn’t have many details about the new owners.