Château Montebello
Encyclopedia
The Fairmont Le Château Montebello or simply Château Montebello is a hotel and resort complex in Montebello, Quebec
, Canada
. The setting for the retreat is 26305 hectares (65,001 acre) of forested wildlife sanctuary and 70 lakes on the shore of the Ottawa River
, between Ottawa and Montreal.
-American
entrepreneur, acquired a site along the Ottawa River, on land that formerly formed part of the Seigneurial system of New France
.
The hotel is situated on one of the last surviving land grants made by 17th-century French kings to early settlers of what was then La Nouvelle France.
François de Laval
, the first Bishop of Quebec
, purchased the property in 1674 from the French East India Company
. The Quebec Seminary inherited it from Laval. In 1801, the land was sold to the family of Joseph Papineau
. His son, Louis-Joseph Papineau
, built a turreted stone mansion in typically French style. This grand house, which is today the Manoir-Papineau National Historic Site, functions as a museum which is open in the summer. It is the only structure on the property which doesn't conform to the log cabin motif of the resort.
Saddlemire envisioned a private wilderness retreat for business and political leaders. He initially called this project "Lucerne-in-Quebec;" subsequently came to be known as the Seigniory Club. Despite the 1929 stockmarket crash
, work on the planned wilderness retreat began as planned in early 1930.
The economic uncertainty did not delay the project, as it did so many others, due perhaps to the fact that the presidents of the Canadian Pacific Railway
, the National Bank of Canada
, the Bank of Montreal
and the Royal Bank of Canada
respectively, not to mention the Premier of Quebec
, were all club directors. A special spur from the nearby CPR line had to be built to allow for the transport of red cedar logs and other supplies to the site. The Scandinavia
n log construction project was supervised by Finnish master-builder, Victor Nymark and construction manager Harold Landry Furst. Construction and woodworking teams worked in overlapping shifts around the clock using electric lighting at night. In this era, the church did not approve of working on the Sabbath; but by coincidence, the local curé was dispatched on an all-expenses paid trip to Rome for two months while the work proceeded apace.
An army of 3500 laborers ensured that the project could reach completion in only four months. The club's grand opening was held on 1 July 1930. Three days after opening, a magnificent costume ball was held, attended by the Governor General of Canada and other such luminaries.
The centerpiece of the new log-château was a hexagonal rotunda
, containing a six-sided stone fireplace that rose more than 20 metres (66 ft) to the roof, soaring rafters featuring logs 18 metres (60 ft) long, and two mezzanine
s that completely encircled the rotunda. The newly constructed buildings on the site contained 10,000 logs, 500,000 hand-slit cedar roof shakes and 166 kilometres of wooden moulding. The club was acclaimed for its architecture and architectural details.
The log walls are painted black on the outside, but the interiors display the natural beauty of the wood which was all shipped by rail from British Columbia
.
When Margaret Thatcher
first saw Château Montebello, she was reported to have observed that it must be the world's largest "log cabin," but she was neither the first nor the last to react in that manner.
The current array of 211 guest rooms, including 14 suites, are organized in the four wings which fan out from the rotunda, with additional wings for the dining room and the ballroom. There are 17 rooms and a total of 17000 square feet (1,579.4 m²) of meeting space available for business purposes.
Today the hotel's amenities encompass such features an indoor and outdoor pool, an 18-hole golf course and 26 kilometres of cross-country ski trails.
and Prime Ministers
, Crown Prince Akihito
of Japan
, Harry S. Truman
, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, Bing Crosby
, Perry Como
, Bette Davis
, and Joan Crawford
.
and Princess Grace
of Monaco
. Among the many titled visitors was the Prince of Wales
who revisited when he became the Duke of Windsor
.
US President Harry Truman's visit to Canada in June 1947 incorporated a trip to the Seigniory Club retreat.
Truman had "expressed the desire to fish for his first Canadian trout during his visit to the club."
purchased the club in 1970 and opened it to the public as a resort. In this period, it was re-named it the Château Montebello.
In 1995, the American National Trust for Historic Preservation
awarded a special membership to the Château Montebello, one of only two Canadian hotels so honoured. The other Canadian member is the Empress Hotel
of Victoria, British Columbia, which was also a Canadian Pacific property.
. The Toronto-based private company, now controlled by Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and Colony Capital of Los Angeles, continues to manage Montebello; but the property itself was purchased in 2006 by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS).
spent time at Montebello in 2007.
; and leaders such as Pierre Trudeau
, Margaret Thatcher
, Ronald Reagan
and François Mitterrand
were guests along with the aides and security staffs traveling with these national leaders.
(SPP) conference at the Château Montebello brought together Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and US President George W. Bush.
Montebello, Quebec
Montebello is a municipality located in the Papineau Regional County Municipality of Western Quebec . As of the 2001 census, there were 1,039 permanent residents. The village has a total area of , and is located at the eastern edge of Canada's National Capital Region.The village is world famous for...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The setting for the retreat is 26305 hectares (65,001 acre) of forested wildlife sanctuary and 70 lakes on the shore of the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
, between Ottawa and Montreal.
Construction
In the late 1920s, Harold M. Saddlemire, a SwissSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entrepreneur, acquired a site along the Ottawa River, on land that formerly formed part of the Seigneurial system of New France
Seigneurial system of New France
The seigneurial system of New France was the semi-feudal system of land distribution used in the North American colonies of New France.-Introduction to New France:...
.
The hotel is situated on one of the last surviving land grants made by 17th-century French kings to early settlers of what was then La Nouvelle France.
François de Laval
François de Laval
This article is in part a sermon and generally comes close to hagiography.Blessed François-Xavier de Montmorency-Laval was the first Roman Catholic bishop of Quebec and was one of the most influential men of his day. He was appointed when he was 36 years old by Pope Alexander VII. He was a member...
, the first Bishop of Quebec
Bishop of Quebec
The title Bishop of Quebec refers to more than one individual:* The Anglican Bishop of Quebec* The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Quebec- See also :* Bishop of Calgary * Bishop of Edmonton...
, purchased the property in 1674 from the French East India Company
French East India Company
The French East India Company was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India....
. The Quebec Seminary inherited it from Laval. In 1801, the land was sold to the family of Joseph Papineau
Joseph Papineau
Joseph Papineau was a notary, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.Joseph Papineau was the father of Louis-Joseph Papineau who had the great distinction of being a fiery player in the history of the French dominated British colony called Lower Canada...
. His son, Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau , born in Montreal, Quebec, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the seigneurie de la Petite-Nation. He was the leader of the reformist Patriote movement before the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837–1838. His father was Joseph Papineau, also a famous politician in Quebec...
, built a turreted stone mansion in typically French style. This grand house, which is today the Manoir-Papineau National Historic Site, functions as a museum which is open in the summer. It is the only structure on the property which doesn't conform to the log cabin motif of the resort.
Saddlemire envisioned a private wilderness retreat for business and political leaders. He initially called this project "Lucerne-in-Quebec;" subsequently came to be known as the Seigniory Club. Despite the 1929 stockmarket crash
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
, work on the planned wilderness retreat began as planned in early 1930.
The economic uncertainty did not delay the project, as it did so many others, due perhaps to the fact that the presidents of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, the National Bank of Canada
National Bank of Canada
National Bank of Canada is the 6th largest bank and 8th largest financial institution in Canada. The bank's headquarters are in Montreal, Quebec....
, the Bank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
and the Royal Bank of Canada
Royal Bank of Canada
The Royal Bank of Canada or RBC Financial Group is the largest financial institution in Canada, as measured by deposits, revenues, and market capitalization. The bank serves seventeen million clients and has 80,100 employees worldwide. The company corporate headquarters are located in Toronto,...
respectively, not to mention the Premier of Quebec
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
, were all club directors. A special spur from the nearby CPR line had to be built to allow for the transport of red cedar logs and other supplies to the site. The Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n log construction project was supervised by Finnish master-builder, Victor Nymark and construction manager Harold Landry Furst. Construction and woodworking teams worked in overlapping shifts around the clock using electric lighting at night. In this era, the church did not approve of working on the Sabbath; but by coincidence, the local curé was dispatched on an all-expenses paid trip to Rome for two months while the work proceeded apace.
An army of 3500 laborers ensured that the project could reach completion in only four months. The club's grand opening was held on 1 July 1930. Three days after opening, a magnificent costume ball was held, attended by the Governor General of Canada and other such luminaries.
The centerpiece of the new log-château was a hexagonal rotunda
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
, containing a six-sided stone fireplace that rose more than 20 metres (66 ft) to the roof, soaring rafters featuring logs 18 metres (60 ft) long, and two mezzanine
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
s that completely encircled the rotunda. The newly constructed buildings on the site contained 10,000 logs, 500,000 hand-slit cedar roof shakes and 166 kilometres of wooden moulding. The club was acclaimed for its architecture and architectural details.
The log walls are painted black on the outside, but the interiors display the natural beauty of the wood which was all shipped by rail from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
When Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
first saw Château Montebello, she was reported to have observed that it must be the world's largest "log cabin," but she was neither the first nor the last to react in that manner.
The current array of 211 guest rooms, including 14 suites, are organized in the four wings which fan out from the rotunda, with additional wings for the dining room and the ballroom. There are 17 rooms and a total of 17000 square feet (1,579.4 m²) of meeting space available for business purposes.
Today the hotel's amenities encompass such features an indoor and outdoor pool, an 18-hole golf course and 26 kilometres of cross-country ski trails.
History
Across the span of its history, the resort has welcomed guests such as Governors GeneralGovernor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
and Prime Ministers
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, Crown Prince Akihito
Akihito
is the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, and Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
.
Seigniory Club
The exclusive private retreat of the Seigniory Club took its name from the French land grant system. "Seigniory" is the anglicized version of the French seigneurie. The club was only open to an elite membership for its first 40 years of operation. Among Canadian members during this period was former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson; and non-Canadian members included Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, Prince RanierRainier III, Prince of Monaco
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco , styled His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th century.Though he was best known outside of Europe for having married American...
and Princess Grace
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
of Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. Among the many titled visitors was the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
who revisited when he became the Duke of Windsor
Duke of Windsor
The title Duke of Windsor was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1937 for Prince Edward, the former King Edward VIII, following his abdication in December 1936. The dukedom takes its name from the town where Windsor Castle, a residence of English monarchs since the Norman Conquest, is...
.
US President Harry Truman's visit to Canada in June 1947 incorporated a trip to the Seigniory Club retreat.
Truman had "expressed the desire to fish for his first Canadian trout during his visit to the club."
Canadian Pacific Hotels, 1970-1999
Canadian Pacific HotelsCanadian Pacific hotels
Canadian Pacific Hotels was a division of Canadian Pacific Railway that operated a series of hotels across Canada. Most of these resort hotels were originally built and operated by the railway's Hotel Department, while a few were acquired from Canadian National Hotels...
purchased the club in 1970 and opened it to the public as a resort. In this period, it was re-named it the Château Montebello.
In 1995, the American National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
awarded a special membership to the Château Montebello, one of only two Canadian hotels so honoured. The other Canadian member is the Empress Hotel
Empress Hotel
Empress Hotel may refer to:*The Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada*The Empress Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States*Empress Hotel in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
of Victoria, British Columbia, which was also a Canadian Pacific property.
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, 1999-2006
In 1999, Canadian Pacific Hotels purchased Fairmont Hotels, and the merged companies were reconfigured as Fairmont Hotels and ResortsFairmont Hotels and Resorts
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a Canadian-based operator of luxury hotels and resorts. Currently, Fairmont operates properties in 18 countries including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, Barbados, United Kingdom, Monaco, Germany, Switzerland, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, the...
. The Toronto-based private company, now controlled by Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and Colony Capital of Los Angeles, continues to manage Montebello; but the property itself was purchased in 2006 by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS).
OMERS, 2006-present
When Fairmont sold Le Château Montebello to the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), that real estate transaction effectively repatriated the prominent hotel into Canadian hands. The list of international figures visiting the resort continues to grow; for example, US President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
spent time at Montebello in 2007.
G7 summit
In 1981, the Château Montebello hosted the 7th G7 summit7th G7 summit
The 7th G7 Summit was called the Ottawa Summit, and was held in Montebello, Quebec, Canada and nearby Ottawa between July 20 and 21, 1981. The venue for the summit meetings was the Château Montebello....
; and leaders such as Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
, Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
were guests along with the aides and security staffs traveling with these national leaders.
Trilateral summit
The leaders of Canada, Mexico and the United States came together for a trilateral summit in 2007. The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North AmericaSecurity and Prosperity Partnership of North America
The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America was a region-level dialogue with the stated purpose of providing greater cooperation on security and economic issues. The Partnership was founded in Waco, Texas on March 23, 2005 by Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada, Vicente Fox,...
(SPP) conference at the Château Montebello brought together Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and US President George W. Bush.
External links
- Official website
- CBC Digital Archives: "Canada hosts its first G7 economic summit."
- Meetings Canada, images