Château Laurier Building Restoration in Ottawa, ON

The Château Laurier in Ottawa is a historic hotel located in the downtown core of Canada’s capital, and designed in the French Gothic Châteauesque style. Meant to be a reflection of the other traditionally designed parliamentary buildings in the area, the project was commissioned by the Grand Trunk Railway for $2 million dollars between 1909 and 1912. The railway president who commissioned the building perished returning to Canada on the ill-fated Titanic voyage and was never able to view the final design but, despite that, the hotel Château Laurier quickly became one of the most important lodgings in Ottawa.

The beautiful Château Laurier in Ottawa, ON, is a piece of Canadian history located in downtown Ottawa, adjacent to the Parliament Buildings on the Rideau Canal. It Opened in 1912 with an official unveiling by Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier himself. No expense was spared when building this beautiful landmark; with granite blocks, white Italian marble, travertine staircases, and new copper roofing, the Chateau opened to widespread excitement.

When Fairmont, the new owners of the hotel, decided it was time to bring the building back to its historic glory, Heather & Little was proud to partner with them on the exterior restoration and restoration of the decorative copper work.

Fairmont Chateau Laurier’s Building Restoration

When the Château Laurier in Ottawa, ON, required a roof restoration, Heather & Little worked along with the Fairmont Property Managers, and Cooke Engineering of Ottawa to replace the copper roofing system. It had been over 30 years since the roof had last been worked on, and it was in need of extensive repair. Over the course of the next six years the roof was almost completely replaced. The roofing at Château Laurier was replaced with 16-ounce standing seam copper roofing with 20-ounce copper valleys, and copper water tables. Additionally, an air vapour barrier system was introduced, along with snow restraint systems, copper air intake louvers, and reproduced decorative copper elements.The final copper roof was a significant improvement over the former roof, and added an extra level of intrigue to the historical property.