Château Laurier
Grand Trunk Railway president Charles Melville Hays commissioned the Château Laurier. Hays envisioned a railway system that extended all the way to British Columbia, in which new, company-owned tourist destinations along the line. As such, the Grand Truck Railway constructed several deluxe hotels in the major cities where the new railroad appeared.
Hays (pictured on the left) hired the Canadian architectural firm, Ross and MacFarlane, to build what would become the Château Laurier. Construction of the French Renaissance style hotel occurred between 1909 and 1912 in tandem with Ottawa's downtown Union Station across Rideau Street. The two buildings were connected with a tunnel. Hays spared no expense on the project, fantastic building materials, such as Italian marble, light-buff Indiana limestone and copper, were used. Inside, the hotel’s guestrooms featured luxurious amenities for the time, such as access to indoor plumbing and laundry services. Antique furniture, Czech crystal vases, and a fabulous grand staircase defined the Château Laurier’s front lobby. In the end, Hays and the Grand Trunk Railway spent over $2 million on the construction, which roughly translates to $50 million in today’s currency.
The hotel was to be opened on 26 April 1912, but Hays, who was returning to Canada for the hotel opening, perished aboard the RMS Titanic when it sank on 15 April. Therefore the opening was delayed for a few months, finally opening in June.
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. 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. He even presided over the opening ceremony and was the first guest to sign the hotel’s register.
When the Grand Trunk became part of the Canadian National Railway in 1923, the Château Laurier became one of CN's most important hotels. Many notable guests have stayed there. Canadian Prime Ministers Richard Bedford Bennet and Pierre Trudeau have called the hotel home. Other dignitaries like, Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, King George IV, Nelson Mandela, and former U.S. President Herbert Hoover have all signed the hotel registry, as well. Illustrious international celebrities like Shirley Temple, Harry Belafonte, Roger Moore, and Smokey Robinsons have also stayed at the Château Laurier.
In this photo from the 1940s, you see Canadian prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King with American comedian Jack Benny and his wife, Mary Livingstone, a comedienne and radio partner of her husband. Benny and Livingstone stayed at the Château Laurier after a performance at the Capitol Theatre
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 seventh and eight floors at the top were home to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's local English- and French-language radio stations. Photographer Yousuf Karsh maintained his studio and residence at the Château Laurier for many years.
Notes
Canada’s Historic Places, Château Laurier National Historic Site of Canada.
Historic Hotels Worldwide, Fairmont Chateau Laurier.
Photos
Charles Melville Hayes, Dictionnaire biographique du Canada.
William Lyon Mackenzie King with American comedian Jack Benny and his wife, Mary Livingstone, Photograph by: Chris Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen.
