| Fairmont Château Laurier | |
 Château Laurier seen from the Peace Tower |
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| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ottawa, Canada |
| Opening date | June 12, 1912 |
| Architect | Bradford Lee Gilbert, Ross and Macfarlane |
| Management | Fairmont Hotels and Resorts |
| Owner | Fairmont Hotels and Resorts |
| Website | www.fairmont.com/laurier |
The Fairmont Château Laurier is a landmark hotel in downtown Ottawa, Ontario located near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive designed in the Châteauesque style. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Sussex Drive is a major street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs roughly parallel to the Ottawa River. Châteauesque is an architectural style based on French château style used in the 1400s to the 1600s in the Loire Valley
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History and Architecture
Château Laurier was commissioned by Grand Trunk Railway chairman Charles Melville Hays, and was constructed between 1909 and 1912 in tandem with Ottawa's downtown Union Station (now the Government Conference Centre) across the street. The Grand Trunk Railway (GTR was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American Charles Melville Hays, sometimes rendered Hayes, ( May 16, 1856 &ndash April 15, 1912) was a railway official most famous The Government Conference Centre is a government building in downtown Ottawa, Canada located at 2 Rideau Street.
The plans for the hotel initially generated some controversy as the Château was to be constructed on what was then a portion of Major's Hill Park. Major's Hill Park is one of the most notable Parks in downtown Ottawa. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, then the Prime Minister of Canada, helped secure the important site for the construction, and the hotel was eventually named in his honour. The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus Laurier's government was also subsidizing the Grand Trunk Railway's Pacific Line. The Grand Trunk Railway (GTR was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American [1] Further conflict ensued when the original architect, Bradford Lee Gilbert, from New York was dismissed due to disagreements with Grand Trunk executives, and the Montreal firm of Ross and Macfarlane was hired to complete the design. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Ross and Macdonald was one of Canada 's most notable Architecture firms in the early 20th century [2]
The hotel was to be opened on April 26, 1912, but Hays, who was returning to Canada for the hotel opening, perished aboard the RMS Titanic when it sank on April 15. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Construction The Titanic was a White Star Line ocean liner built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland A subdued opening ceremony was held on June 12, 1912, with Sir Wilfrid Laurier in attendance. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting
When the Grand Trunk became part of the Canadian National Railway in 1923, the Château Laurier became one of CN's most important hotels. For years, the hotel thrived, playing host to royalty, heads of state, political figures, celebrities and members of Canada's elite. During the 1960s and 1970s, the construction of numerous competing hotels in the capital, as well as the closure of Union Station, led to a slow decline in the Château's fortunes. Significant work was undertaken in the 1980s to refurbish and renovate the Château Laurier, however, thus restoring its position as Ottawa's pre-eminent hotel.
The hotel was operated by Canadian National Hotels until the chain was purchased by Canadian Pacific Hotels in 1988. Canadian National Hotels was a hotel chain under control by Canadian National Railways. Canadian Pacific Hotels was a division of Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR that operated a series of Hotels across Canada. In 1999, it was renamed the Fairmont Château Laurier after Canadian Pacific Hotels bought the American Fairmont hotel chain and changed its name to Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a Toronto, Ontario -based operator of luxury Hotels and Resorts Currently Fairmont operates properties in
In addition to hotel guests, the Château Laurier has also served over the years as the home of two important Ottawa institutions. From July 1924 to October 2004, the sixth floor of the hotel was home to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's local English and French language radio stations (a legacy that commenced when the Canadian National Railway established Ottawa's first radio station). Yousuf Karsh, one of the world's most renowned portrait photographers, maintained his studio and residence at the Château Laurier for many years. Yousuf Karsh, CC ( December 23 1908 &ndash July 13 2002) was a Canadian photographer of Armenian
The hotel is just metres away from some of the capital's most important landmarks including Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal, the National Gallery of Canada, the Byward Market, the National War Memorial, the U.S. Embassy, and the Rideau Centre. Parliament Hill (colloquially The Hill, French Colline du Parlement) is a scenic location on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown The Rideau Canal, also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston The National Gallery of Canada ( Musée des beaux arts du Canada) located in the capital city Ottawa Ontario, is one of Canada 's premier Art ByWard Market (sometimes called By Ward Market, Byward Market or simply The Market, Marché By in French) is a district in downtown The National War Memorial (also known as The Response) is a tall granite Cenotaph with acreted bronze sculptures that stands in Confederation Square The United States embassy in Ottawa is a building located in Ottawa which opened in 1999 Rideau Centre ( Centre Rideau in French) is a three-level Shopping centre on Rideau Street in downtown Ottawa, Ontario Given its proximity to these buildings and the fact that it has served as a home and meeting place for many notable political figures over the years, the hotel has often been referred to as "the third chamber of Parliament".
The hotel was the inspiration for the "Hotel du Canada" at the Canada (Epcot) pavilion in Orlando, Florida. The Canada Pavilion is part of the World Showcase within Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Notes
References
- Chisholm, Barbara, ed. , Castles of the North: Canada's Grand Hotels, Toronto: Lynx Images, 2001.
- Fletcher, Katharine. Capital Walks: Walking Tours of Ottawa, Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2004.
- Kalman, Harold and John Roaf. Exploring Ottawa: An Architectural Guide to the Nation's Capital. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1983.
- Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee of Ottawa, Ottawa: A Guide to Heritage Structures, Ottawa: LACAC, City of Ottawa, 2000.
- Rankin, Joan E. , Meet Me at the Château: A Legacy of Memory, Toronto: Natural Heritage Books, 1990.
External links
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