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In February of 1930, the site where
Fairmont Le Château Montebello now stands was a clearing in the
woods. Just four months later, the massive cedar Château was
complete: a building feat which captured the popular imagination of
the time, inspiring newspaper features across North America and
attracting crowds of onlookers.
The project was the dream of a
Swiss-American named Hubert Saddlemire, who was inspired by the
châteaux of the Swiss Alps, and dubbed the project
"Lucerne-in-Québec". A Finnish master-builder named Victor Nymark
supervised the construction and woodworking teams, who worked in
overlapping shifts around the clock, using electric lighting at
night.
The construction team started by
building a spur line from the nearby Canadian Pacific rail tracks; a
line that would transport in a total of 1,200 carloads of timber and
building materials. Camps were built to house the construction
workers, who were as many as 3,500 at the peak of construction.
Craftsmen used 10, 000 red-cedar logs to build the resort's three
main buildings, all cut and set by hand.
The resort is built on the grounds
of what was once a 17th century Seigniorial estate, acquired in 1674
from the West Indies Company by Bishop Laval, the first Bishop of
Québec. In 1801, the land was purchased by Québec's prominent
Papineau Family and the grand Manor House was built. It still
stands on the property today. The Manoir-Papineau National Historic
site of Canada is open as a museum in the summer, and guests of the
Château can easily stroll over for a look into the past. |
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For 40 years after its completion in
1930, the log château was the private retreat of the Seigniory Club,
whose elite membership included reputed Canadian businessmen and
politicians such as former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, and
foreign dignitaries such as Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of
Monaco. In 1970, the resort was taken over by Canadian Pacific
Hotels, who re-named it Le Château Montebello, and opened its doors
to the public for the first time. It swiftly became known as one of
the prime resorts in Eastern Canada.
Fairmont Le Château Montebello now
attracts visitors from across Canada and around the world. The
resort has hosted a number of historic meetings, including a G-7
International Economic Summit, attended by political figures
including Ronald Reagan, François Mitterand, Pierre Trudeau and
Margaret Thatcher as well as NATO meetings. More recently, the
resort hosted the North American Leaders Summit welcoming President
Bush, President Calderon and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Whether guests come to solve the
problems of the world or to seek a weekend's relaxation, Fairmont Le
Château Montebello offers a tranquil setting, excellent service and
refined cuisine.
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