'She was part of our family': Smudge the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald dog dies at 14
The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald's canine ambassador Smudge will be fondly remembered as a calming presence, said general manager Garrett Turta.
Talking about his dog Smudge, the beloved Labrador Retriever that greeted guests at the hotel for the past nine years, brought tears to Turta's eyes.
"[She was] brought in to give a sense of welcoming and calm into the hotel," he said. "She was really…"
Smudge was paired with Turta and the Fairmont from the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind (CGDB) organization while he was working at the Fairmont Algonquin in New Brunswick.
"It was an immediate connection, I couldn't have had a better friend," he said.
The Fairmont's canine ambassador program started in Boston and Vancouver, and slowly became what it is today.
Turta and Smudge went on to work at Fairmont St. Andrews before coming to the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in 2013.
"Out of the 13 years that she worked with me I would say two to three people who were afraid of dogs," Turta said.
He recalls one time that he left Smudge at home because a group had indicated a guest was afraid of dogs.
"We had so many complaints from the people that were attending that said, 'Where's the dog? We came cause we wanted to see the dog,' so I actually had to go home during the middle of the day to pick her up and bring her in."
He said having Smudge around was so relaxing for guests that he'd often see men in business suits lying on the lobby floor petting her.
"Can't even count it on two or three sets of hands, that's how many times I've seen it. It happens a lot," he laughed. "It's just that warm greeting."
Smudge always knew how to get a snack, it was the Labrador in her said Turta.
"Every once in a while she'd sneak in the lounge too and if someone wasn't watching she'd get a piece of fish or hamburger so that was also funny too, those are the little chuckles that we'll always have."
Turta is also proud of the charity work they did together.He estimates they raised between $25,000 and $30,000 throughout the years.
The CGDB reached out to ask if the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald would like another canine ambassador. Turta said he hopes the hotel continues the program, but said he doesn't know if he personally will participate again because it's "been tough" losing Smudge.
"She was part of our family, she was part of everyone who was here."
Smudge was 14 years old.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Jury finds Andrei Donet guilty of second-degree murder in stabbing death of Montreal teen
A jury has found a 21-year-old man guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Montreal teenager Jannai Dopwell-Bailey outside his school in 2021.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crytpo King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Britain slammed in inquiry for infecting thousands with tainted blood and covering up the scandal
British authorities and the country's public health service knowingly exposed tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections through contaminated blood and blood products, and hid the truth about the disaster for decades, an inquiry into the U.K.'s infected blood scandal found Monday.