Château Frontenac

Château-Frontenac National Historic Site of Canada © Parks Canada / Michelle Cinanni, 2007

In 1980, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) recognized the Château Frontenac as a site of national historic significance for its architectural value, taking into consideration the fact that this is an excellent example of the Château-style hotels constructed by railway companies in Canada.

Building of the hotel started in 1892–93, when Canadian Pacific was putting together one of the world’s most extensive hotel chains. The architect Bruce Price drew on the model of the French château but without its symmetry, adding towers and turrets, dormer windows, chimneys and steeply pitched roofs in the then-popular eclectic striving for the picturesque. In the same spirit are six later additions by renowned architects such as Walter S. Painter, Edward and William Maxwell, and Robert Lapierre and Bruce Allan; their work fits perfectly with the original design. The style was widely imitated.

Placed well to take advantage of the landscape, these hotels, with their romantic and impressive appearance, became landmarks. The Château Frontenac, built on the site of the Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux (designated by the HSMBC in 2002), looms over the St. Lawrence River from the clifftop of Cap Diamant. It is an internationally recognized symbol of Québec City.

The hotel has hosted important events, including part of the Québec Conferences of 1943–44 (recognized in 1946) and the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945 (designated in 1955). The Château Frontenac has also welcomed many VIPs, and is associated with numerous Canadian political figures.