The gunpoint kidnapping of a wealthy beer baron sounds like a plot ripped straight from a crime drama, but it's actually a very true chapter of the Labatt Brewing Company's history that played out right here in Ontario. That's when Labatt Brewing Company faced its most turbulent era, with alcohol banned between 1916 and 1927 under the Ontario Temperance Act. Labatt was instrumental in navigating major changes in Ontario's alcohol industry, with his vision earning him a reputation as a strong leader. Reporters swarmed the Royal York Hotel day and night, and police were being inundated with a flood of tips from the public. When Labatt got to the Royal York Hotel, it took a little while before people actually recognized him.