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.
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.
