LES HOTELIERS FRANCOPHONES

1892.7? R.G. Desautels meurt le 9 septembre 1898.!7 Il est
possible que sa veuve se remaria avec Alphonse Fairon.

DESROCHES, Joseph, Jusqu’a présent , selon mes recherches,
la seule personne qui correspnde a l’identité de cet homme,
était inscrite au recensement de 1881 comme fermier rési-
dant dans le district comprenant |’Anse Burrard.*!

DUHAMEL, Henry, peut-étre s’agit-il d’Horace Duhamel men-
tionné dans les archives du Major Matthews comme ayant été
propriétaire de I’hétel Saint-Charles. Ce batiment de bois fut
remplacé par I’hétel Clarence, construit en briques.””

FAIRON, Alphonse, natif de la Belgique, c. 1843.73 Tel que
mentionné plus t6t, Desautels et Fairon furent propriétaires-
associés pendant plusieurs années de l’hétel Stag & Pheasant. Il
est possible que Fairon se soit marié avec la veuve de son associé.
Apres la mort de son partenaire, Fairon s’associe avec Louis
Canonica du City Hotel. Fairon meurt le 26 juillet 1918.74 Nous
ne retrouvons aucune trace de la progéniture.

FOUBERT, Frank, inscrit dans les registres de Vancouver de
1889, comme entrepreneur de construction (défrichage).?? En
1890, il obtient une licence pour le transport de spiritueux.?¢
Son entreprise est située sur la rue Pender. En 1889, il devient
propriétaire de l’hétel Saint-Charles et en 1890, de l’hétel Ar-
lington. En 1892, il est marchand licencié de‘spiritueux. Trois
ans plus tard, il vend l’hétel Arlington et achete l’hotel Clarence.
En 1897, il combine l’entreprise de la brasserie avec la tenue
d'un hétel. En 1901, il déménage sa brasserie dans une vieille
batisse située a l’entrée du Parc Stanley et ouvre la Brasserie du
Parc Stanley.’ Il meurt en 190378 et sa veuve vend la brasserie a
la Compagnie Royal Brewing.”° Frank Foubert est né au Québec,
c. 1853.78 Sa femme, Charlotte Atkins,*° née en Ontario, c.
1870,78 se remaria avec Thomas Simpson.*° Le couple Foubert a
eu au moins trois enfants: William, établi a Seattle,*° Ethel,
femme de Thomas J. Bridge*® et Frank fils qui mourut encore
bébé, en 1894.78

GAUVREAJU, Charles, Il est possible que Charles Gauvreau de
Phétel Arlington était le méme qui travaillait pour le CPR a
poser la voie ferrée de Port Moody a Vancouver en 1887.*' Et,
tout probablement aussi, sa fille serait Marie Gauvreau, arrivée
a Vancouver en 1886, inscrite a la premiére école du quartier
Mount Pleasant. Elle se maria avec Phillip Riviére en 1899.

MANUEL, Sarah Elizabeth, Madame Manuel mourut a Vancouver
le 29 décembre 1934* et sa nécrologie nous apprend qu’elle est
née a Montréal:. . .““Aussit6t descendue a Vancouver, Mme.
Manuel se méla activement au monde de I’hétellerie. Elle était
tenanciére d’historiques hdtels tels: le Klondike, Sunnyside,
Tremont et le Chateau Barnard, tous aujourd’hui disparus,
détruits. En 1904, elle quitta Vancouver et s’établit a Dawson.
Bient6t son nom fut associé a l’hétellerie, partout dans l’interieur
de la province, et cela pendant de nombreuses années.”*
(Traduit par Catou Lévesque)

10

FRANCOPHONE HOTELIERS IN EARLY VANCOUVER

—a preliminary study, by Valerie Melanson, B.C.

Genealogical Society
As they did elsewhere in the west, Francophones played their

part in opening up Vancouver. These notes are by way of a pre-

liminary investigation of the role played by Francophones on the
hotelier scene in the first few years of the City’s existence.

In a previous article (Le Chronographe, vol. 2:4) the career of
Maxie Michaud was outlined. As far as I can determine at present
he was the first francophone hotelier in what was to become
Vancouver.

By May 19, 1886 (pre-fire) there were at least 11 hotels in
Vancouver, of which one, the Granville Hotel, had as proprietor
T.D. Cyr(s) of New Brunswick Acadian stock.

By 1890 there were at least 49 hotels (not to mention boarding
houses) and many of these had at one time or another francophone
proprietors in the early years. One thing these francophones were
not very stable, as often their proprietorship would last only‘6 months
or a year, with them often disappearing from Vancouver thereafter
completely. Three that showed some staying power in the hotel
business were Alphonse Fairon, R.G. Desautels, and T.D. Cyrs.

The main hotels connected with francophones are listed on
page 9. I have endeavoured to identify the proprietors year by year
to 1890 using directories and license books (though these sources
do not always agree).

For some of these individuals I have managed to find a few personal

details, though sources seem scant to say the least.

Further investigation of this subject will obviously make a
fascinating study, and anyone with information or interest to share
is invited to contact: the B.C. Genealogical Society, Vancouver.
BLOIS, John, may not have been francophone, though he was a

native of Nova Scotia, born there c. 1858.! His wife Elizabeth

Ann was also a native of Nova Scotia. ! In 1890 he was described

as a logger, lodging at the Tremont. By 1891 he had become its

proprietor.! The couple later moved to Garden City on Lulu

Island, where he continued as a lumberman. ”

CANONICA, Louis, was a native of Switzerland, born there c.
18506. His wife May was a native of Germany. * They had arrived
in Vancouver by October 1888.4 In 1889 he became partners
in the City Hotel with Louis Bélanger (see Le Chronographe
vol.2:1), and by 1890 had switched to partnership with Alphonse
Fairon.

CARRIERE, Joseph, had arrived in Vancouver by November
1888,‘ from the U.S. He bought a license for a hotel, Carriere
House (later Hotel) in 1889,° and was advertising in 1890 that
“This house has been thoroughly titted [sic] up in every depart-
ment, and is ready for the accommodation of Guests and the
travelling public generally. Particular attention will be paid to
the Table which, in addition to being supplied with the BEST of
everything, will have everything prepared in the best style of the
culinary art. . .”° Joseph Carriére was married to a woman from
Québec. The couple had two children, a daughter and a son.

CLAIRE, Peter, was a native of Bordeaux, France,’ born there c.
1824,* He died in Vancouver on the 18th of April 1897.° His

Le chronographe Volume III no. 1-2, Printemps-Eté 1986