[6] His father, Andrew Hays (1742–1835), one of the founders of the Shearith Israel Synagogue, came from a well-established Sephardic family which emigrated from Holland to the United States in the first quarter of the eighteenth century.

[7][8] Hays began his career as a clerk in Montreal's Royal Engineers Department and continued to contribute to civic life for many years thereafter.

[11] He was also a director of Joseph Masson's gas company and of the Montreal Provident and Savings Bank,[11][12] and between 1836 and 1840 served as a judge on the Court of Special Sessions, which administered the city.

The four-storey block of buildings included a hotel, a shopping area, and a theatre,[2] and featured a panoramic view extending over the entire city.

[14] The theatre hosted concerts by Anna Bishop, Nicolas-Charles Bochsa, the Germania Musical Society, and others,[15] as well as theatrical performances.