From Carleton Place to “the Laff” — The Life and Times of Peter Prosser Salter

Photo- Ottawa Tourism

Years ago I used to love reading the bathroom walls of “The Laff” on York Street when I frequented there. I had no idea about the history nor did I care. Same goes with documenting Carleton Place history. I never thought local hotel magnet Mr. Peter Prosser Salter ever went beyond the Carleton Place town lines. It goes to show you to never judge a book by its cover, or a hotel for that fact.

Over the years history has known The Layette at 42 York St. as Grant’s Hotel, The Exchange Hotel, The Bodega, The Salmon Arms, The Johnson House, and The Dominion House. In 1936, it finally became the Chateau Lafayette and if you have never been there I would suggest you visit for a spell or two or three.

The Laff has had a reputation as once a brothel and rumours of John A. MacDonald frequenting the pub when visiting. It’s also been tossed around that a young Queen Victoria once walked on those very floors, and one wonders if one her signatures or comments is still in one of those ladies bathroom stalls. Hold on… Queen Victoria was said to have never visited Canada, so was it fake news from newspapers gone by? Or– were her many children that visited mistaken for her highness?  One thing that is quite clear: there was lots of drinking and talking going on in Ottawa and probably a lot of click bait in newspapers.

But who knew a Carleton Place man was going to become part of its history?

Photo of the Queens Hotel/ Chatterton House etc. on Bridge Street. Chatterton House Hotel guest register dating from 1886 to 1889 was transferred from the City of Ottawa Archives Photo from the Carleton Place & Beckwith Heritage Museum

In the late 1880 the once McIntosh Hotel on Bridge Street in Carleton Place was bought by Peter Prosser Salter who doubled the size, and renamed it the Queen’s Hotel. It was flipped in 1882 to the widow Mary J. Chatterton who allegedly ran a house of ill-repute and by 1886 she had sold it back to Peter Salter.

Salter ran it until about 1890 when he sold the business back once again to Mrs. Chatterton. Mrs. Chatteron wasn’t poor by any means and owned much local real estate due to her “lucrative business practises”, but it seems she sold it back to him a few more times.

On the 20^th of October 1899 it was noted in the local newspaper and the Ottawa Citizen that Mr. Salter, proprietor of the well known Queen’s Hotel in Carleton Place had disposed of the property, with Mrs. Chatteron once again being the purchaser. The price was noted being up into the double tens with five digits.

On November 7, 1900 the Ottawa Journal reported that Mary Chatterton still had the complete management of the Queen’s Hotel. There was no word if the alleyway business re-opened, or why Salter and Mrs. Chatterton seemed to be playing real estate ping pong with the Queen’s Hotel through the years. Was it for tax purposes?

Before going to Ottawa Peter Salter bought and reopened the Carleton House, the oldest two storey stone building in Carleton Place in 1900 after his final sale with Mrs. Chatterton.  He renamed it the Leland Hotel and it still stands today as the office of MP Scott Reid.

This is a picture of the Queens Royal Hotel, built by Peter Prosser Salter in 1899 and was part of the Lake Park Resort just outside of Carleton Place- Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum photo

A two story hotel was constructed along the Mississippi Lake in 1887, and it was later rebuilt after a fire as a luxury four-story facility by Peter Salter. It offered white linen service, room service, sandy beach, panoramic view of the lake and a number of modern conveniences – running water, private bathrooms, etc.  It was the hub of a busy summer resort and attracted crowds from the town and from Ottawa for fine dining, dancing and even horse racing on the custom built track as Salter had many prize horses and loved to win and see his name in print.

Salter had owned at least three hotels in Carleton Place: the Queen’s Hotel in the late 1800s, the Leland Hotel from 1900 to 1904, and Lake Park Lodge which was called the Queen’s Royal on Mississippi Lake until 1926 when Mr. Larson bought it and added the famous Queen’s Royal Smorgasbord.

Peter Salter goes to Ottawa….. 1936

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
10 Feb 1934, Sat  •  Page 28

In 1936 Peter Karson had heard that a small lucrative hotel, the Bodega, at 42 York St. in the Byward Market, was for sale — cheap. Its owner, former Carleton Place resident Peter Salter, was in his 80s by now and a familiar sight around Ottawa in his horse-drawn carriage, carnation in his lapel and a beautiful woman beside him.

The three Bouris boys from Ottawa (Mike, John and George) had gained enough experience by 1936 to go into business for themselves. A little short of capital, they were helped financially by their former employer, Peter Karson to buy the Bodega.

 

Jaan Kolk

 

Lost Ottawa  The block on the left is where you find the War Memorial now, but it was once popular for the Queen Restaurant and the Bodega. LAC has the original Topley photograph (MIKAN 3325939)

 

Digging in the newspaper archives after seeing the sale of the hotel I found out that Peter Salter had not only owned the Byward Market hotel,  but he had  actually owned TWO Bodega Hotels in Ottawa. The first hotel, Bodega Chamber, was near the Parliament buildings on Wellington. It was advertised as the most complete private hotel in the city with European and American plans. The hotel was patronized by the leading Members of the House of Commons and had “Incandescent Light” throughout the 36 rooms. However, a notorious second one was opened in the Byward Market later in 1909.

Bodega– Byward Market was never known as a luxury hotel with impressive guests, and was never a prize hotel such as the Bodega Chambers. This Bodega Hotel was known in the media as “the bucket of blood”  in Ottawa for its problems and rowdiness.

The York Street establishment was as a place for the local farmers and their families to ‘camp out’ after hours, and the rest of the regular clientele was the riff raff of Lower Town. ( It was actually called Upper Town in those days)

You had your loud and obnoxious lumbermen, and your typical drunks, and a bouncer called Lucien Leblanc who weighed in at 350 pounds and was called  “Moustache.”

Peter Salter had decided to open up what was to become known in years to come as The Chateau Lafayette because his first hotel, the Bodega Chamber was expropriated. The Bodega Hotel at 34 Wellington ( where the War Memorial now stands) was a popular drinking spot and, most likely, a house of ill repute the same as the Queen’s Hotel in Carleton Place.

When the electric trams began running from downtown Ottawa to Britannia-by-the-Bay, it was a favourite haunt of the military band members who gave concerts Sunday afternoons at the west end park. No matter how popular it was Prime Minister Mackenzie King wanted it shut down as he wanted a grand approach up Elgin Street to Parliament Hill

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
22 Feb 1911, Wed  •  Page 10

In 1928, the Bodega Hotel on Wellington closed and in 1929, Peter Salter opened a new version of the Bodega Hotel in one of the Byward Market’s oldest buildings on York Street now known as “The Laff”. It was reported in the Citizen that Peter Salter, with his boutonniere and many beautiful female companions, was at the helm once again.

This was the same hotel that the Bouris brothers bought in 1936 after it being for rent for two years, renaming it the Chateau Lafayette. They hoped the name would appeal to the French-Canadians of the Byward Market.  It had 34 rooms, each with its own sink and at either end of the halls were a shower and toilet.

Prostitutes once again plied their trade here with men who registered with phony names and the Bodega had long-term residents too.  Even after it was sold Peter Salter remained and became the night manager for awhile and lived at the hotel until his death in 1952.

It goes to show you when you least expect it history surprises you with facts no one knows and that is why it is so important for us to keep finding and sharing these stories from the past.

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
23 Feb 1952, Sat  •  Page 7

 

he Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
04 Apr 1902, Fri  •  Page 10

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
21 Sep 1925, Mon  •  Page 19

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
09 Jan 1926, Sat  •  Page 1

 

 

 

PARENTS AND SIBLINGS

Peter Prosser Salter

1859-1952

Marriage: 28 JUL 1886

Perth, Lanark Co., Ontario, Canada

Sara Christine Cameron

1864-1919

Children (9)

Cameron Salter

1887-1887

John Norman Salter

1889-1969

Hugh A. Salter

1895-1895

Hubert Peter Salter

1896-1988

Marguerite Cameron Salter

1897-1907

Eleanor C. Salter

1898-

Kathleen Edwina Salter

1900-

Alan Cameron Salter

1903-1989

Marguerite Salter

1907-1959

Peter Prosser SALTER, 1860 – 1952

Peter Prosser SALTER was born in 1860, at birth place, to John Abner SALTER and Ellen (Eleanor) SALTER (born GARLAND).

John was born on November 3 1828, in Beckwith Twp Ont per 1851, 61, 71, 81, 1901, 11 Census-Montague.

Ellen was born in June 1832, in Per 1911 Census.

Peter had 12 siblings: Frances “Fannie” MORRIS (born SALTER), Marcella HERRON (born SALTER) and 10 other siblings.

Peter married Sarah SALTER (born CAMERON) on month day 1886, at age 26 at marriage place.

Sarah was born in 1863, in Bathurst Twp.

They had 2 children: Margurite SALTER and one other child.

 

 

Adin Daigle

alsoread

Mr. Salter from the Queens had an Accident 1932

Food Review of the Smorgasbord at The Queen’s Royal Hotel 1947

Documenting Some Queen’s Hotel Photos

CLIPPED FROMThe Ottawa CitizenOttawa, Ontario, Canada13 Nov 1981, Fri  •  Page 70

Nothing But the Cooler Left in Carleton Place

“I remember the liquour store being across from the Carleton Place Post Office- You had to go fill out a form to get your liquour”.-–Anonymous

Residents applied for and received individually-numbered (5 digits) liquor permits. A temporary permit was a single sheet form with 6 digit number with effective and expiry dates. This was issued until the yearly permit form was received. It was also provided to non-resident visitors.

Between 1927 and 1957 permits came in the form of passport sized books that consisted of two separate sections, the first which included the permit holder’s personal information (place of residence, marital status, occupation/employer, notes change of address) and a second section which kept a record of the individual’s purchase history (date, quantity, value, store number and initials). In 1957 Permit books were replaced with permit cards. These cards held the permit holder’s name and their permit number and also were needed in order to purchase liquor at the LCBO. When an individual wanted to make a purchase at an LCBO store he or she had to fill in a purchase order form that included their name, address and permit number as well as the kind and volume of liquor that they wished to purchase. The purchase order form would be handed to an LCBO employee along with the individual’s liquor permit and he would “examine [the] permit and see to what extent the purchaser has been buying liquor.-Wikipedia

“I turned legal that day and went into the Carleton Place liquor store. I had been lying about my age for a long time. That day they decided they were going to finally get me for lying. Waving his hands the manager signaled for the store clerk to nab me while he called the cops. He had had enough”.

“Card please”? they asked.

The now legal age woman screamed with joy,”It’s my birthday and I am legal to drink today–finally.” Then she realized she had outed herself! –Anonymous

If purchaser has exceeded a reasonable quantity per week, note permit number and address and refer to vendor. Under the Liquor Control Act the LCBO was to promote temperance through facilitating education and moderation. This meant a store employee could deny a sale to a customer if his intended purchases may be considered too large for one person to reasonably consume.

The first self-serve store where customers did not have to rely on a clerk to retrieve alcohol was introduced in 1969. In the 1970s the stores changed to become more inviting with decorative displays of alcohol, and in the 2000s many of the stores were renovated and enlarged to provide larger product selection. Most current stores have Vintages sections with rotating selections of vintage wines and premium spirits.-Wikipedia

“I remember the jugs at the Queen’s hotel. They would bring a huge jug and glasses for all of us. A good time was had by all.”- –Anonymous

In 1934 the mandate of the LCBO was expanded to include the oversight of by-the-glass sale of alcohol in standard hotels and other drinking establishments. As part of the LCBO’s regulations licensed establishments were required to adhere to a wide variety of regulations including a limitation on singing, the number of patrons allowed to sit together and most importantly the segregation of female from unmarried male drinkers (women were only allowed to drink in the presence of a “bona fide escort” in a segregated “Ladies and Escorts” room).[The task of overseeing the sale of alcohol in drinking establishments was later passed in 1944 to a short lived government licensing agency and later to the Liquor Licensing Board of Ontario in 1947.

The presence of women within drinking establishments along with unmarried men, prompted a moral outcry against the possible sexual impropriety inspired by “mixed” drinking within male beverage rooms in the mid 1930s (The Globe September 18th 1934, “Trustee Observes Girls Being Brought Out of Beer Rooms”; The Globe, March 6th 1935, “50 Girls seen Drinking By Minister”). In response, the LCBO drafted new regulations in 1937 that required licenced establishments to have “two separate and distinct beverage rooms – one for men only, and the other solely for women, except where attended by bona fide escorts” (The Globe March 29, 1937, “Liquor Board to Curb Mixed Drinking in Ontario Hotels, New Rules to Require Two Rooms”).

This regulation also fell upon female servers who contested their restriction from serving liquor within the “men only” beverage room. In repeated communications the Board stressed its strong opposition against women servers, denying women the right to work within these establishments even if they owned them or were wives of the owners (Heron 2005: 20). In 1944 the Board partially yielded on the matter, explaining to authority holders that they could “make use of females as waitresses in the Ladies’ and Escorts’ beverage room ONLY”. For these women to work LCBO policy required that “authority holders desiring this privilege [to have female servers working within the Ladies and Escorts room] must make application to the Board as well as submit a medical certificate covering the proposed employee and indicating that she is free from disease” (Ibid). Specifically, having these women around male beverage rooms “raised fears about prostitution, immorality and venereal disease” within anti-beverage room discourses (Marquis 2008: 316; The Globe September 19, 1934, “Women Ministers Left to Discretion of Presbyteries”; Annual Meeting of the Ontario Provincial Council of Women, December 1, 1944, RG 36-5-0-38.1). Male servers, in contrast, were not held to this medical standard. The transfer of principle was not based on exclusion, but instead on inclusionary segmentation of the space where alcohol circulated and continued in Ontario until the responsibility of controlling these establishments was shifted away from the LCBO and the opening of mixed “Cocktail Lounges” which targeted a more temperate middle class clientele in 1947 (Marquis 2004: 317).

Women could also drink within their homes, yet in the Board’s early years, even there some female drinkers were the subject of gossip and public criticism. The Globe reported on women purchasers on the LCBO’s opening day in 1927 as if they were spectacles for public consumption. Articles were critical of women who “wheeled baby carriages” when making their purchases, or were assertive of their right to drink – openly questioning their ability to both drink and be effective mothers (The Globe June 2, 1927 “They Line Up Quickly to Get Their Liquor Once Stores Are Open”)– Punch Drunk

We still had a Ladies and Escorts room at The Queens in 1964?

Carleton Place Canadian ad for the Queens from; The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum