Bytown’s taverns were notoriously abundant in number – but the Chateau Lafayette (“The Laff”) boasts the distinction of being the only of those Bytown era drinking houses to still remain in operation today. Founded in 1849 as “Grant’s Hotel”, Reformers took refuge inside during Bytown’s infamous Stony Monday Riot of that year.
Ashley Newall takes us back to when the tavern known today as the Chateau Lafayette was in the “thick of things” when our city was known as “brawling, rioting, lusting, wenching Bytown”.
Ashley Newall is an Ottawa singer-songwriter-musician and history writer, whose stories can be found his Capital History (CapHistOttawa) social media pages, his ashleynewall.ca website and on Apt613.ca.
