“This may seem like an unusual request, but I write to you today seeking a ‘pardon.’”

So began an 1,100-word letter from Nick Burchill of Nova Scotia to the Fairmont Empress hotel in downtown Victoria, Canada.

Burchill was coming “hat-in-hand,” as he wrote in his missive, to apologize and ask forgiveness for an incident that got him banned for life from the upscale establishment 17 years ago. The following may sound incredible, but hotel staff say it’s true.