Showing 39 results

Item is a draft contact sheet for printing pages 4 and 5 of a brochure about the Laurentian Leadership Centre, particularly the history of Booth House. Page 5, on the right, is a cut out copy of a lined ink drawing of the side profile of the centre’s historical entrance with a cut out text below that reads “The Laurentian Club, 252 Metclafe St. Ottawa.” On the adjacent page numbered 4, is typed printed text. Both cut-outs have been mounted on card stock with parchment paper overlay that has edits in pencil that read “family for some years thereafter became available” and the word “which”.
The text on page 4 reads: “…taxes, in addition to the monthly rent. This seemed alright during the next sixteen prosperous years. The membership increased to 300 ordinary and 65 privileged members by 1929. A reserve fund of more than $34,000.00 was built up and the future seemed bright. Alas! The depression eroded the membership to a low of 114 ordinary members and the reserve fund melted until, in 1937, it was all gone and there was no money with which to pay the taxes. But, one way or another, in a sort of continual contest with the break-even point, the Club stayed alive, and, by 1939, the corner seemed to be turned.

In 1941, the building at Albert and Elgin Street was expropriated by the government and the Club purchased the Coulson home at 233 Metcalfe Street where it remained until 1947.

At that time, the nearby property which John R. Booth had built about 1909 at 252 Metcalfe Street which he occupied until his death in 1925 and which continued to be occupied by his son, Jackson Booth and family for some years thereafter became available. It was the hope of the Jackson Booth family that if purchased by the Club, the building would be saved from the wrecker’s hammer as was the fate of so many other fine buildings on Metcalfe Street and favourable terms for its purchase were obtained. The Coulson house was sold and the club moved to its present home.”