Fairmont Chateau Laurier I - Ottawa is a photograph by Christiane Schulze Art And Photography which was uploaded on October 23rd, 2012.
Fairmont Chateau Laurier I - Ottawa
Copyright: Christiane Schulze
Chateau Laurier was commissioned by Grand Trunk Railway president Charles Melville Hays, and was constructed... more
Title
Fairmont Chateau Laurier I - Ottawa
Artist
Christiane Schulze Art And Photography
Medium
Photograph - Photography - Digital Photography
Description
Copyright: Christiane Schulze
Chateau Laurier was commissioned by Grand Trunk Railway president 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 hotel features original Tiffany stained glass windows and hand-moulded plaster decorations dating back to 1912.
The plans for the hotel initially generated some controversy as the Ch�teau 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. Laurier's government was also subsidizing the Grand Trunk Railway's Pacific Line. Further conflict ensued when the original architect, Bradford 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.Ch�teau
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. A subdued opening ceremony was held on 12 June 1912, with Sir Wilfrid Laurier in attendance.
When the Grand Trunk became part of the Canadian National Railway in 1923, the Ch�teau 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. R.B. Bennett lived in a suite in the hotel during his term as Canadian prime minister, from 1930 to 1935.
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 Ch�teau's fortunes. Significant work was undertaken in the 1980s to refurbish and renovate the Ch�teau Laurier, however, thus restoring its position as Ottawa's pre-eminent hotel.
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October 23rd, 2012
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