harls
May 12, 2009, 12:16 PM
http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090511/OTT_chez_henri_090511/20090511/?hub=MontrealHome
I had heard about this last week and just got around to posting it now. Pretty sad.
Gatineau hopes to rebuild Hotel Chez Henri -- brick by brick
Updated: Mon May. 11 2009 5:58:02 PM
ctvottawa.ca
Hotel Chez Henri was once the place to party on Quebec's side of the Ottawa River, entertaining back to the days of Prohibition.
A new owner planned to give new life the now-empty building. But a demolition mistake means a wrecking crew tore down more than what was permitted, angering local heritage advocates.
The building has been slowly torn down over the past week, including the tower that created the appearance of a Renaissance castle. That part of the project was not supposed to happen, and is the talk of downtown Gatineau.
And instead of night owls, pigeons are now perched on the remaining façade.
Three walls were supposed to remain, but only two now exist. Gatineau Mayor Marc Bureau called the mistake "disappointing" while speaking to reporters Monday morning.
The first two floors of the current building were constructed for family use in 1901. By 1929, ownership had transferred to Henry Burger, an internationally-renowned chef who opened Chez Henri with several investors.
The additional storey and castle-style roof were added in 1930 as the Great Depression began to rage. Telephones were installed in all 30 rooms, and formal attire was expected in the dining room.
The club passed to an ownership group, none more famous than J.P. Maloney, who died in 1983 inside his penthouse apartment at the hotel. The building was closed in the 1990s, and was declared a heritage site in 2003.
Hotel Chez Henri was the only such heritage building in the Hull sector of Gatineau - a designation designed to stave off wrecking balls.
City officials are considering a fine but are demanding another costly measure in the meantime. They want the knocked-down bricks to be salvaged and the third wall and turret rebuilt.
"It will be important to have a very heavy fine," said Michel Prevost of the Outaouais Heritage Society. "A message (that) you can't tear down our protected heritage."
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kate Eggins
Before -
http://www.ottawaurbain.ca/include/interplex/ottawaurbain//images/blog/600/hotel_hull_2_8001233034360.jpg
www.ottawaurbain.ca
and now..
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/images/bizphotos/569x379/200905/08/70083.jpg
Michel Lafleur, Le Droit (http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/gatineau-outaouais/200905/08/01-854834-la-negligence-doit-etre-severement-punie.php)
I had heard about this last week and just got around to posting it now. Pretty sad.
Gatineau hopes to rebuild Hotel Chez Henri -- brick by brick
Updated: Mon May. 11 2009 5:58:02 PM
ctvottawa.ca
Hotel Chez Henri was once the place to party on Quebec's side of the Ottawa River, entertaining back to the days of Prohibition.
A new owner planned to give new life the now-empty building. But a demolition mistake means a wrecking crew tore down more than what was permitted, angering local heritage advocates.
The building has been slowly torn down over the past week, including the tower that created the appearance of a Renaissance castle. That part of the project was not supposed to happen, and is the talk of downtown Gatineau.
And instead of night owls, pigeons are now perched on the remaining façade.
Three walls were supposed to remain, but only two now exist. Gatineau Mayor Marc Bureau called the mistake "disappointing" while speaking to reporters Monday morning.
The first two floors of the current building were constructed for family use in 1901. By 1929, ownership had transferred to Henry Burger, an internationally-renowned chef who opened Chez Henri with several investors.
The additional storey and castle-style roof were added in 1930 as the Great Depression began to rage. Telephones were installed in all 30 rooms, and formal attire was expected in the dining room.
The club passed to an ownership group, none more famous than J.P. Maloney, who died in 1983 inside his penthouse apartment at the hotel. The building was closed in the 1990s, and was declared a heritage site in 2003.
Hotel Chez Henri was the only such heritage building in the Hull sector of Gatineau - a designation designed to stave off wrecking balls.
City officials are considering a fine but are demanding another costly measure in the meantime. They want the knocked-down bricks to be salvaged and the third wall and turret rebuilt.
"It will be important to have a very heavy fine," said Michel Prevost of the Outaouais Heritage Society. "A message (that) you can't tear down our protected heritage."
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kate Eggins
Before -
http://www.ottawaurbain.ca/include/interplex/ottawaurbain//images/blog/600/hotel_hull_2_8001233034360.jpg
www.ottawaurbain.ca
and now..
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/images/bizphotos/569x379/200905/08/70083.jpg
Michel Lafleur, Le Droit (http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/gatineau-outaouais/200905/08/01-854834-la-negligence-doit-etre-severement-punie.php)
