 The building was originally known as the McKernan Block , after John W. McKernan , the Princess ’ s owner and manager until 1919 . The <unk> were a family of property developers in boomtown Strathcona ; John ’ s father developed and ran the historically important Dominion Hotel , also on Whyte Avenue . For his part , J.W. McKernan is considered an important trailblazer in Edmonton entertainment . He opened two other south side theatres before the Princess , the South Side Gem and the South Side Bijou , both of which failed during the collapse of Strathcona 's building boom in 1913 . 
