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S+of the Hotel Quinte became a must for the successful businessmen who travelled between the town of York, now Toronto, and the communities in Eastern Ontario way back then. For many decades, the Hotel Quinte towered over its rivals that consisted of the James Daw and the Empire Hotel on Bridge Street, the Covertt's Inn, the American Hotel, Robert Sanderson, the Willard House, and the Mansion House on the east of Front Street and the Grant's Hotel, the Wellington House, John Weese, the Steven's House and the Farmer's Hotel on the west. The Market Inn and Henry Sexton were located on the east of Pinnacle Street/while the Toronto House stood on the east of Mill Street. While the Hotel Quinte stoutly looked on, each of these competitors fell by the wayside with the passage of time. Doreen Jenkins of Belleville, whose late husband, Jim, operated the hotel in the years between the '50s and 1970, said that her husband's grandfather, J.V. Jenkins had founded the establishment in 1895. Her husband had inherited the operations from his parents, Gerald and Eula Jenkins, before selling it in 1971. :; Reminiscing on the glory days of the Hotel Quinte, this Belleville native noted that it used to be "the place" to go for an evening out. "I remember there was this lovely ballroom called the Pinnacle Room where people went for dances,1' said Jenkins. She also remembered the Green Door room and the men-only beverage room called Ernie's Corral where women were allowed in only when accompanied by men. Then there was the Tropicana Room in the basement area of the hotel, a favourite among the patrons because of its tropical decor. "It was indeed a very popular place on a Saturday night when people liked to go out for dinner." Today, the building continues to be viewed as an establishment that places emphasis on style, comfort, and personalized service. Like its predecessor, the Dafoe House, the building continues to serve as headquarters for both the local and the travelling business communities. Guestrooms offer every conceivable modern amenity for their business patrons. Individualized and themed attention to decor and comfort tempts in those who wish to get away from the everyday grind. In its 109th year today, this establishment stands as importantly as ever on the corner of Pinnacle and Bridge streets in Belleville. Contact Benzie Sangma at: bsangma@cogeco.ca stances." Noting the establishment to be a "first class modern hotel", the writer further noted: "Hotel Quinte will fill one of Belleville's long-felt-wants and be a great benefit to the city in more ways than one. It will not only furnish a comfortable and modern stopping place for travellers and tourists, but will tend to act as an advertising medium for the progressiveness of our citizens." The rooms, equipped with "return call and fire alarm" electric bells, boasted, too, of electric and gas lights and local residents, especially the wealthy ones, could move into the opulent environment of the luxurious hotel and live there as long as they wanted. But disaster struck again in 1907, when the hotel fell victim to the sweeping fire that swallowed it overnight leaving behind its mere shell standing in the glare of the morning light the next day. This time, the rebuilding took place immediately and the Hotel Quinte, which we now know as Clarion Inn and Suites in Belleville, was once again ready for business on Feb. 28, 1908. Sir Mackenzie Bowell, the former Prime Minister of Canada and Belleville resident, enshrined the new inn with his distinguished presence on its opening day. Consequently, being seen within the walls