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The Great Pontack (also known as Great Pontac, Pontack Inn, Pontiac Inn, Pontack Hotel, Pontack House, Pontac Tavern) was a large three-story building, erected by the Hon.John Butler (and run by John Willis 〔Grandfather of (John Willis )〕〔http://archive.org/stream/collectionsofnov01novauoft#page/n44/mode/1up Collections of NS Historical Society. Vol.1 1878, p. 39〕), previous to 1754, at the corner of Duke and Water Streets in Halifax, Nova Scotia.〔, afterwards known as Michael Bennett's corner, now Cunningham's corner.〕 (Present-day sites of the Waterside Centre and the Pontac House at the Historic Properties (Halifax).) It was named after the famous Pontack Club in London. 〔Major, p.188; Wheatley and Cunningham's London Past and Present; Ashton's Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, i. 186–7; Burn's Descriptive Catalogue of London Traders, Tavern, and Coffee-house Tokens, p. 13〕 The first resident professional company in Canada was The American Company of Comedians, believed to have performed at The Great Pontack, Halifax, in the summer and fall of 1768.〔( English Theatre - Canadian Encyclopedia ); According to the Gazette on September 1st, 1768, The American Company of Comedians was performing in Halifax: the first production was Jane Shore and another, a farce, "The Virgin Unmasked." "No one was allowed behind the scenes. Performances were on Monday and Thursday, the doors opened at 5, and the show began at 6:30."〕 (A lively garrison and amateur theatrical tradition emerged in the Maritimes, among these was a romantic comedy called Acadius: or, Love in a Calm, the first recorded English Canadian play, performed in Halifax in 1774.)〔( English Theatre - Canadian Encyclopedia )〕 The most famous event to take place at the establishment was on May 24, 1758, when James Wolfe, who was headquartered on Hollis Street, Halifax, threw a party at the Great Pontack prior to departing for the Siege of Louisbourg (1758). Wolfe and his men purchased 70 bottles of Madeira wine, 50 bottles of claret and 25 bottles of brandy.〔Major, p.181〕 Four days later, on May 29 the invasion fleet departed.〔Johnston. Endgame〕 Wolfe returned to his headquarters in Halifax and the Great Pontack before his Battle of the Plains of Abraham. The building housed auctions, dramatic productions, balls and civic ceremonies.〔Major, p.174; One such ball was on the King's birthday 1754 (See (Halifax Gazette ))〕 The building contained a slaughter-house, ballroom, public conveniences, bakers, butchers’ stalls and stabling.〔Major, p.176〕 It was the principal hotel in Halifax. On the first floor was the kitchen.〔Major, p.177〕 There were several assembly rooms on the second floor. There was also a large veranda which encompassed the four sides of the building off the second floor. 〔Major, p.175〕 == Events == The Great Pontack was well known in the early years of the city and often hosted prominent members of Halifax society. In October 1754, on the day of the swearing in of the first Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, Jonathan Belcher in his scarlet robes walked out of the Governor’s House with Lieutenant Governor Charles Lawrence and others. The dignified procession walked to the Pontack and entered the long room where they were served a formal breakfast.〔Major, p.173〕 Afterward Belcher was escorted to the courthouse, where his first official act was to exhort a grand jury to wield the “sword of Justice” to protect the innocent and to strike terror into “the noxious and guilty.” This moment in legal history marked Canada’s first superior court open for business. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Great Pontack (Halifax)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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