Byward Market - Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier

Château Laurier /<br>Le Château Laurier Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2019

1. Château Laurier /
Le Château Laurier Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

English:
Designed by the architectural firm of Ross and MacFarlane this hotel was built between 1908 and 1912 and enlarged in the 1920s. It was the first in a chain of Château style hotels constructed by the Grand Trunk Railway (later incorporated into the Canadian National Railways), to encourage tourists to travel its routes. Distinguished by its crisp facades and steep, copper roofs, the hotel’s picturesque appearance captures the romance of travelling by train. The Châteauesque rooflines of several federal government buildings in Ottawa were inspired by the commanding presence of this hotel.

Français:
L'édifice a été construit entre 1908 et 1912, d'après des plans de Ross et MacFarlane et agrandi durant les années 1920. En érigeant son premier hôtel de style Château, le Grand Tronc (incorporé plus tard dans les Chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) cherchait à encourager le tourisme à voyager par chemin de fer. Avec ses façades altières, couronnées de toitures en cuivre, cet hôtel matérialise l’enchantement des voyages en train. Le profil de son toit, qui évoque celui d’un château, a servi

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

d’inspiration pur de nombreux immeubles du gouvernent fédéral d’Ottawa.

Erected by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada/Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Man-Made Features • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.

Location. 45° 25.505′ N, 75° 41.698′ W. Marker is in Ottawa, Ontario. It is in Byward Market - Parliament Hill. Marker can be reached from Rideau Street (Route 34) just east of Elgin Street (Route 91), on the right when traveling west. Marker is mounted at eye-level, directly on the Château Laurier (Hotel Fairmont) just to the left of the main front entrance portico. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Rideau Street, Ottawa ON K1N 8S7, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada (within shouting distance of this marker); The Commissariat (within shouting distance of this marker); Laura Secord, UE (within shouting distance of this marker); Rail Heritage in the Capital (within shouting distance of this marker); Lieutenant Colonel Charles-Michel d’Irumberry de Salaberry, CB

Château Laurier Marker • <i>wide view<br>(marker on wall • just left of portico)</i> image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2019

2. Château Laurier Marker • wide view
(marker on wall • just left of portico)

(within shouting distance of this marker); Sappers’ Bridge (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant) (about 90 meters away); Wilfrid Laurier (about 90 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ottawa.

Regarding Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier. The Chateau Laurier was commissioned by then-commissioner of the Grand Trunk Railroad, Charles M Hayes. The hotel was completed in 1912; timing intended to coincide with the opening of Ottawa's Train Union Station. The train station is no longer in use, but the hotel is still in business today and retains every bit of its original grandeur. Hayes was returning to Canada for the opening of the Chateau on the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic and never saw his project come to fruition. Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier, who had secured the site for the Chateau, was in attendance at a subdued opening ceremony for the hotel which would come to bear his name.

Also see . . .
1. Château Laurier. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on June 30, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. Charles Melville Hays. Wikipedia entry:
In April 1912, Hays was in London soliciting financial support

Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Robert Rusaw, April 12, 2022

3. Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier Marker

for the Grand Trunk Railroad. He was anxious to get back to Canada for the grand opening of the Château Laurier, set for April 25. J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star Line, had invited Hays to join him on the RMS Titanic. At 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg. Hays helped the women in his party into one of the ship's lifeboats, but he, his son-in-law, and his secretary remained and perished when the ship sank. Hays' body was recovered from the waters of the North Atlantic by the Minia, and he was buried at Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal. (Submitted on September 28, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Photographed By Robert Rusaw, April 12, 2022

4. Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier Marker

Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier<br>(<i>southwest corner view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2019

5. Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier
(southwest corner view)

Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier<br>(<i>southeast corner view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2019

6. Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier
(southeast corner view)

Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier (<i>west side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2019

7. Château Laurier / Le Château Laurier (west side)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 305 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 28, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3, 4. submitted on April 18, 2022, by Robert Rusaw of Massena, New York. 5, 6, 7. submitted on September 28, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.