Benjamin Trudel bought the Stadacona Hotel in 1895, refurbished it, and renamed it Hotel Victoria.
In 1897, he constructed a Turkish baths and pool establishment. A bridge forty foot long was built at first floor level to connect the two buildings allowing hotel guests to visit the Turkish baths without having to leave the building.
Unfortunately, the construction of the bridge had been undertaken without planning permission. Angry local merchants lodged complaints against the new structure and finally forced the demolition of the bridge in spite of Trudel taking his case to the Supreme Court.
The baths did not survive for long. When the hotel was completely destroyed by fire in 1902, the hotel was rebuilt on the site of the old Turkish baths by the new owner, Trudel's nephew, Aurčle Resther.
© Malcolm Shifrin, 1991-2023