A few hours at Fred’s meant beer, good cheer
Fred Meilleur ran the legendary Chapeau Hotel — aka Fred’s — for decades. The place, and the man, were unique
By Bruce Ward, The Ottawa Citizen February 4, 2009
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OTTAWA — The funeral for legendary Ottawa Valley hotelier Fred Meilleur will be held Saturday at St. Alphonsus Church in Chapeau, a village perched on Allumette Island in Quebec about 140 kilometres west of Ottawa.
“It will be standing room only,” said Brian Adam, the mayor of Allumette Island.
“Fred was a community icon. We’re going to give him a rousing Chapeau send-off.”
It’s likely there won’t be a dry eye at the funeral — nor a dry throat at the celebration of Mr. Meilleur’s life following the service.
Mr. Meilleur and his family ran the Chapeau Hotel, also known as Fred’s Hotel, for 62 years.
“People say the hotel was an institution but it was Fred who was the institution,” said Mr. Adam. “The hotel was a landmark.”
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