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4 * · S\ oJh STORY BY BENZIE SANCMA FOR THE INTELLIGENCER e-T \ "It was a popular hotel. It was separated into-men I only and ladies' only room. There were separate doors to the men's room and the ladies' room. On ihe sourids of boisterous Ii the west side, towards the driveway, was the ladies' laughter and happy chat- i entrance and on the east side was t^ie men's ter of young children 1 entrance. At the back of the hotel was a large used to fill winter's night 7 air over the ice rink. It's now a parking lot behind Docter'.s there." Hotel on Station Street in The hotel was known for its excellent draught Belleville. beer. One could buy a 10-oimce glass of draught for Today, the sounds of play 10 cents in the 1930s. i exist in the memories of city As he recalls, the hotel was open from noon till I residents like Bob Carey who - midnight: He, also remembers farmWs sitting in the j had frequented the rink with his] ._:/ «.fi.f..i..l *Htt :I._fjr_/tj i f JLtJTtf* ; children. · rrfi r I The ice rink was built at the : "As a kid, I remember going l time when Docter's Hotel was I ? under the proprietorship of down there to buy bread and ; Barney Parsons and his two tomatoes, peas." William Docter, the original ; partners between the late 1950s ; and early 1960s. In the early operator of the hotel, came to Belleville from England in 1863 i years, the hotel's enclosed stable to manage an area's brewery. where clients put their horse for Soon, he became an owner of a the night stood on its location. i Parsons tore it down to make saloon called the Prince of Wales : room for the ice rink and it Saloon near the Grand Trunk turned out to be a muchStation. A grocery store that was appreciated gesture. attached to the saloon was later "My kids were brought up on fitted with accommodations for that rink. I used to take them overnight guests. At the time, down there and they played the establishment was known as hockey. Barney (Parsons) put a the Prince of Wales Hotel. Since light out in. the backyard so that 1886, the hotel has been located the kids could play at night. He at its current site. used to give the kids hot At the time'.when Docter chocolate. They were good years,": started venturing into hotel recalls Carey, a father of seven business, competition in town and now, a grandfather of 13. i was strong and travellers had Carey, along with Don Foster and j many hotels to choose from. His Eddie Pope, shouldered the rivals included the Dafoe House maintenance of the rink. ; on Bridge and Pinnacle streets, James Daw and the Empire "We used to get water from the "At one time it (Docter's hotel's boiler room for the rink. Hotel on Bridge Street, Covertt's Hotel) was a good hotel run by Inn, the American Hotel, Robert We had no trouble with that. At good people. You have to times, we had to watch for Sanderson, the Willard House, remember that this was a melting ice carefully but in those and the Mansion House on the railroad town and when railway days we had nice cold weather in east of Front Street. On the west life in Belleville went to pieces, winter most of the time. So, we side of Front Street were Grant's everything else went dead," says didn't have to worry much about Hotel, the Wellington House, Carey. that." j John Weese, the Steven's House William Docter died in 1903 At times, he adds, children I and the Farmer's Hotel. The and his wife, Ann, ran the went there simply for skating and Market Inn and Henry Sexton business until her sister, Cecilia music was played for them in the were located on the east of Brians and her husband took it background. Pinnacle Street, and the Toronto over. It was during their ; Carey recalls that Docter's House stood on the east of Mill proprietorship that Barney \ Hotel used to be a favourite . Street. By 1880, Belleville was Parsons camfe on board. He ! among travellers to the city. It said to have 22 hotels and : worked as a bartender between] was equally popular with the taverns, hot including the 1936 to early '40s and again ; railway crew that his father, an saloons. after the war. He and two other ; engineer, had worked with. The partners bought the business in ; building was a hotel and a bar in the mid-1950s and sold their interests in the I those days and had between 22 business in 1976. i to 24 rooms. 1 \ 't c. \ \ v q e n cue. r J r You can reach Benzie Sangma at bsangma@hotmail.com with comments on or story ideas fof ' ' "