John “Jack” “Curley” Salois

Curley Salois purchased the Westminster Hotel in Dawson in 1913. He was known to help people out. He once bought a house for a Bear Creek woman whose house had burned. He helped out a destitute B. Ferguson who had been blacklisted by the Yukon Gold Company. Ferguson had a well-off aunt in England and when he received an inheritance, he surprised Curly with large check for what he owed over the years.¹⁾

In 1938, Jack Salois, owner and proprietor of the Westminster Hotel, also owned a half interest in the Occidental Hotel. In that year, he purchased the other half from the estate of Thomas Doyle and did alterations to put it into first class order.²⁾ The Occidental Hotel closed its doors in October 1942 due to lack of business, many of the former patrons having left Dawson.³⁾

Curley went into partnership with his nephew Fabien in 1950, and Fabien and wife Eileen bought the [Westminster] hotel in 1956.⁴⁾