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Historical Vignette


Historic hotel


By Tania Moffat Postcard from the turn of the century.


Main Street and Broadway. Tis Gothic behemoth, named after the nearby Up- per Fort Garry, would have dominated the prairie skyline at its completion in 1913. It is Winnipeg’s last surviving grand hotel from the building boom that began in the early 1900s. Today, the Fort Garry Hotel is not


T


only a part of Winnipeg’s history but it is still one of the finest hotels and event centres in the city. It is a beloved gather- ing place for celebrities as well as cele- brations and a favourite spot for couples looking for a staycation. Te hotel was originally commis-


sioned by the Grand Trunk Pacific Rail- way (GTPR) to entice weary travellers to rest in its luxurious offerings. Similar hotels, including Chateau Laurier in Ottawa and Hotel Macdonald in Ed- monton, were erected along the rail lines and remain among the most iconic and impressive structures in the country to this day.


28 • Fall 2015


he steeply pitched green roof with multiple peaks and finials provides an imposing presence near the corner of


Te historic Canadian transcontinen-


tal railway, running from Winnipeg to the Pacific, ceased operating the North- ern Trunk Railway line during the First World War due to mounting debts, forcing the federal government to take over. By 1920, the GTPR and its hotels were being managed by the Crown cor- poration, Canadian National Railways, and were completely absorbed into the corporation by 1923. Te hotel is the only building con-


structed in Chateau-style architecture in Manitoba. Its very Canadian style of architecture in this case involves the straight vertical lines of 20th century skyscrapers topped off by the roof that resembles those of castles in France. Te hotel was designated a national historic site in 1980. Built by Fuller Construc- tion, the final construction cost totalled a cool $1.5 million (about $35 million today). Charles Melville Hays, president of the Grand Trunk and Grand Trunk Pa- cific Railroads, insisted on the best not only in the construction of the railroad but of the hotels built along its route.


The Fort Garry Hotel remains an iconic part of


Sadly, he drowned when the Titanic went down in 1912, and didn’t live to see the completion of the Fort Garry Hotel. He would have been proud. Te cop-


per roof has oxidized into the symbolic green we recognize today and the trade- mark smooth-cut limestone walls proj- ect an image of majestic opulence. An elaborate formal entrance with stone stairs, brass railings and copper-detailed canopy still welcomes guests into the two-storey ground floor decorated with


The Hub


Postcard printed by the B.C. Printing and Litho. Ltd.


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