My dad was a bartender at the Hotel MacDonald from 1973 until being laid off in 1983 due to the closure. His paychecks were always from the employer, which was CN, not the hotel itself. Where the outdoor patio is today, it used to be staff parking. Guests had to use the indoor parkade (which was demolished along with the new wing). Most of my memories of the hotel was in the demolished wing, with its red carpeting throughout. CN certainly knew how to throw great Christmas staff parties, complete with Santa Claus and gifts for the kids, some of my favorite childhood memories.
I worked at the Chateau Lake Louise as a bellman and it will forever be one of my fondest memories. One of my most favourite duties was going out to the front of the hotel at 7 a.m. and raising the Canadian flag, as the Victoria Glacier reflected off the lake.
What a great update of our treasured past. Lucky to stay in Banff, Lake Louise, and the Royal York. There is something majestic about these buildings. Thank you for this beautiful time peice. Cheers
This was a fascinating history lesson. I've seen most of the hotels you name, from the outside, but don't think I've ever stayed in one overnight ... not in my income range! I did take my young sons to the Banff Springs Hotel, just for them to see some of the interior aspects open to the public. And we've enjoyed "afternoon tea" at the Empress in Victoria, again as a way of reminding my sons of Canada's history. They've also seen the Chateau Laurier and The Bessborough.
It is my dream to one day stay in everyone of these beautiful hotels! When I was a child I saw one of them on a summer trip from Colorado and I have never forgotten the beauty of these amazing hotels and the beauty of Canada!
My grandfather was in the 20's and 30's the western general manager for the CPR hotels. My mother was raised in them and has many fond memories and stories.
I worked as a telephone operator and manual elevator operator at Chateau Lake Louise after high school, it was like a castle then. Some friends and I went to a conference in Ottawa and stayed in the Chateau Laurier, small rooms as it was originally accommodated low income residents. My daughter and I toured Hotel MacDonald after high tea, including the royal suite. Those hotels appear to be built by craftsmen in comparison the boxes they build now.
my great great grandfather, harry sills, used to go back and forth along that line from ontario to alberta. he’d do it on a regular basis for work. in those days, customer service was a little different, in that train companies would hire black coach attendants for bare wages, forcing them to work 24/7 without breaks for the entire multi-day journey. remember, these are still the days in which employees were expected to take care of a customer’s crying child because “they paid for a vacation”. every time he would return to alberta, he would offer a spare bed and some food to a few poor souls unfortunate enough to have been employed in that hellish condition. strive to be like harry, i guess.
Well done! Exactly what I was looking for to show my little girl who has to do her schooling online right now! It would be just awesome to see stand-alone's for each. But I do realize how much work that could potentially be hwvr, I assure you it would be well received!
AMAZING video. I love your telling of the pressures of construction, and destruction of the hotels with the economic pressures. I walk by the Hotel Vancouver everyday and love that it's such a beloved part of our city. There's an office tower across the street that is taller, but emulated the Hotel Vancouver style as a shout out to the Hotel Vancouver's significance.
Loved the music you chose for the video. I stayed at the Frontenac (for work, as we were doing a convention in the grand hall). I didn't get much time in the suite and mostly napped, but the room service was amazing. I once stayed in Vancouver at a CP hotel, again for work. That was great.
I have been fortunate to stay in the following: Chateau Frontenac, Chateau Lauirier, Royal York, Bessborough, Banff, Lake Louse, Jasper Park Lodge, Hotel Vancouver, Empress.
I cooked in the kitchen the famous Hotel Fort Garry in downtown Winnipeg, very near the train station. Fantastic place, totally refurbished around 1990, right before i was hired. I loved every minute of it
My parents and sisters and I got to stay in the Royal Alex around 1962. My wife and I got married in the Fort Garry and, a few years ago, spent a couple of nights in the Algonquin. I can't see us ever affording the Banff Springs but it is on my major want-to-dos. Maybe we could walk around the lobby
Several things: first off, well produced video. Very well done. It was randomly shown to me and I’m excited to see more of your videos The hotels have a special place in my heart. My mom’s second wedding was at the banff springs. I love it so much. I’m touched you talked about the hotel Mac. My first apartment was the McDonald estates, aka the box that it came it. At some point, the addition got turned into apartments. Lesser quality than the hotel Mac but one of the cheapest apartments in downtown Edmonton (price wise, not quality at all). So those two meant a lot to me. And my mom and step dad sometimes stay in the palliser when they visit me since I moved to Calgary. Those are the 3 I’ve visited (either stayed at or ate at). But it’s on my bucket list to visit all of them. Thank you for the video and insight.
Thanks for your kind words! That’s a good catch. I had a whole paragraph about the Prince Albert in my original script that didn’t make the cut, and it looks like I forgot to include it elsewhere! The Prince Albert was a very interesting piece of this story - sorry about the omission.
I work in Ottawa, meer minutes away from the Chateau Laurier and the hotel, due to it's high level of luxury and being very close to the Canadian Parliament, prime minister's residence, Global Affairs Canada's headquarters and many more place foreign dignitaries visit, the Chateau Laurier now often get's used for diplomatic events, hosting multitudes of foreign dignitaries when they come to Ottawa. I also remember a while ago they wanted to add a box addition to the hotel that really didn't fit with the rest. Fortunately it was denied
The image at 2:29 is incorrectly labelled. The entire building is Windsor Station. The Windsor Hotel is not in the photo. It was about 100 m past the right side of St. George's Church (shown in the image) on Peel and the north side of Dorchester.
Thank you. I always turn the sound off to remember my vision. And it is like the mountains of Tibet, a lovely Chinese lady with her video showing what the villagers are doing, in their masks. The people were making clay pyramids, and putting on a cover up for tourists. Those are no railway hotels. And everyone is in a deadly trance again. Clear as mud. xo
Aside the Château Frontenac, it was difficult to follow which of these hotels are still standing since you used almost exclusively old footage. Indeed, this is a great video, and the old footage is awesome, I just would have liked to know which are still around with some modern photos/footage
Is the Lord Nelson hotel in Halifax really considered a railwsy hotel? It is located on the very edge of the central business district, quite far from passenger rail service. In contrast, the Hotel Novascotian is located directly adjacent to the railway station (and much closer to Downtown). After a few rough decades, both establishments are now doing well. They are holding their own against some newer luxury hotels like the Sheraton.
I've stayed at the Fort Gary in Winnipeg. Nice hotel but the room was terribly uncomfortable. The humidity was so high in the room that we thought maybe the bed was wet.
I live in Quebec City since I was 4 and dreamed to spend a night in the chateau Frontenac. Too expensive for me however so I resort to just going in the Starbucks that found its way inside
I got to stay at Banff and Lake Louise hotels. I wish I could stay in more hotels but can not. Those railway hotels should still be in Canadian's hands. Also Canada should have train service like other countries. That would help a lot. I am from Edmonton and I am glad the box is gone.
These hotels were majestic during their heydays in early and mid 20th century but not anymore. They are impressive from the outside but from the inside, the rooms are small, with small windows and some with just 2 electrical outlets so you have to power your phone in the bathroom outlet. Because they have the Fairmount luxury brand, their prices are really high and guests say it is not worth it.
An enjoyable and quite informative video, thank you. Just one suggestion: please don't plug these cheesy classics into the sound track; they are not connected to the visuals in any way, distracting and way too loud. Other than that, nice work.
Yeah, I didn’t really describe this well I guess. There were some freight transport tramway systems around for coal transport in the 1700s, which is what I was referring to, but I recognize that this video makes it seem like you could take a passenger train at that time. Sorry about that!
"The story of the beginning of Canada is the story of its railways" You could say "The story of modern Canada begins with the railway", but the beginning of Canada starts a few centuries before that...
You don’t think its boomng now? You have got to be a social crank , our economy is currently red hot . , lowest unemployment rate in years which is why we have to allow more immigration which I would bet really pisses you off and , oh yea , you despise Justin Trudeau
The economy and workers living standards have never been linked. Corporations are doing just fine… a vast number of Canadians have had their home value go up 500% if not more. Us (predominantly younger) workers aren’t protesting or doing anything about it. How much worse do things have to get?
I do cherish our old railway hotels and their historic designations. But the interiors are not protected, and are going under the worst form of renovation you can imagine: modernizing and minimizing, ending up looking like a white on white Starship Enterprise.
Possibly Vancouver's greatest architectural loss was the demolition of the Hotel Vancouver (mark2). It's pictured briefly in this video (the "Italian Rennaissance" example). What aren't visible are the large, terra cotta moose and bison heads that graced its upper exterior. What character it had!
Every modern big name hotel is made of glass, designed to cram as many condos in the top floors as possible, and all look generic. I miss innovative architecture like this.
The incessant and wholly unnecessary music in the background is way too loud and makes what is being said very nearly unintelligible. Even as Clear as Mud. 🙄😖🤬
I’ve stayed in the Fairmont Empress on Vancouver Island. It’s not really covered in this video, but it’s one of the best, even though it’s on an island where trains never went (it was built as the terminus hotel for Canadian Pacific's steamship line). Would love to visit them all but I don’t think it’s going to happen! 🇦🇺
Although a very informative video, the author ruined it with the loud "background" music. It should be remixed with more subtle music and more accurately represents the chapters.
My dad was a bartender at the Hotel MacDonald from 1973 until being laid off in 1983 due to the closure. His paychecks were always from the employer, which was CN, not the hotel itself. Where the outdoor patio is today, it used to be staff parking. Guests had to use the indoor parkade (which was demolished along with the new wing).
Most of my memories of the hotel was in the demolished wing, with its red carpeting throughout. CN certainly knew how to throw great Christmas staff parties, complete with Santa Claus and gifts for the kids, some of my favorite childhood memories.
That’s awesome, thanks for sharing your stories!
I worked at the Chateau Lake Louise as a bellman and it will forever be one of my fondest memories. One of my most favourite duties was going out to the front of the hotel at 7 a.m. and raising the Canadian flag, as the Victoria Glacier reflected off the lake.
Had the privilege of staying a week at the hotel on the top floor centre suite overlooking the lake a few years back
Great video. Thank you. A real history lesson of Canada through the lens of the railways and hotels.
Thanks!
I've stayed in most but my heart will always be with the Empress.
The Empress is a great one!
I stayed in one of the fanciest rooms on the Fairmont gold level, every single word of praise is deserved about that hotel, it is GORGEOUS.
The Queen Elisabeth in Montreal is where John and Yoko did the bed in and recorded Give Peace aChance. Cheers from Montreal
What a great update of our treasured past. Lucky to stay in Banff, Lake Louise, and the Royal York. There is something majestic about these buildings. Thank you for this beautiful time peice. Cheers
This was a fascinating history lesson. I've seen most of the hotels you name, from the outside, but don't think I've ever stayed in one overnight ... not in my income range! I did take my young sons to the Banff Springs Hotel, just for them to see some of the interior aspects open to the public. And we've enjoyed "afternoon tea" at the Empress in Victoria, again as a way of reminding my sons of Canada's history. They've also seen the Chateau Laurier and The Bessborough.
Incroyable. Merci. This is an amazing video.
Thank you!
It is my dream to one day stay in everyone of these beautiful hotels! When I was a child I saw one of them on a summer trip from Colorado and I have never forgotten the beauty of these amazing hotels and the beauty of Canada!
That was a great little piece of history I never knew thank you
My grandfather was in the 20's and 30's the western general manager for the CPR hotels. My mother was raised in them and has many fond memories and stories.
The best hotel's in Canada no doubt
I worked as a telephone operator and manual elevator operator at Chateau Lake Louise after high school, it was like a castle then.
Some friends and I went to a conference in Ottawa and stayed in the Chateau Laurier, small rooms as it was originally accommodated low income residents.
My daughter and I toured Hotel MacDonald after high tea, including the royal suite.
Those hotels appear to be built by craftsmen in comparison the boxes they build now.
Nice history...I and my family have stayed in many of the hotels. They are wonderful places to spend time in many Canadian cities...well done!!
my great great grandfather, harry sills, used to go back and forth along that line from ontario to alberta. he’d do it on a regular basis for work. in those days, customer service was a little different, in that train companies would hire black coach attendants for bare wages, forcing them to work 24/7 without breaks for the entire multi-day journey. remember, these are still the days in which employees were expected to take care of a customer’s crying child because “they paid for a vacation”. every time he would return to alberta, he would offer a spare bed and some food to a few poor souls unfortunate enough to have been employed in that hellish condition. strive to be like harry, i guess.
If you're at the Banff Springs Hotel, don't forget to check out 'the haunted stairway'.
"Arrrrroooooo!, It's scary kids."
I worked at Chateau Lake Louise in 1980 as an elevator operator. Cheers from Montreal
Well done! Exactly what I was looking for to show my little girl who has to do her schooling online right now!
It would be just awesome to see stand-alone's for each. But I do realize how much work that could potentially be hwvr, I assure you it would be well received!
So glad you found it useful! That would be a lot of work, but who knows - maybe I will do that one day!
AMAZING video. I love your telling of the pressures of construction, and destruction of the hotels with the economic pressures. I walk by the Hotel Vancouver everyday and love that it's such a beloved part of our city. There's an office tower across the street that is taller, but emulated the Hotel Vancouver style as a shout out to the Hotel Vancouver's significance.
Thanks, really appreciate it!
Loved the music you chose for the video. I stayed at the Frontenac (for work, as we were doing a convention in the grand hall). I didn't get much time in the suite and mostly napped, but the room service was amazing. I once stayed in Vancouver at a CP hotel, again for work. That was great.
Place Viger is stunning; I rode my bike around it for awhile when I lived in Montreal
I have been fortunate to stay in the following: Chateau Frontenac, Chateau Lauirier, Royal York, Bessborough, Banff, Lake Louse, Jasper Park Lodge, Hotel Vancouver, Empress.
Thanks for this Superb Video. These Grand Buildings deserve to be remembered. I have subscribed,
Roland Singh, Canada 🇨🇦
Nice video! This is such good quality, and opened my eye on a subject i'd never heard about! It's truly a shame you don't have more views and subs
Thank you so much! That means a lot. Hopefully I will be able to put out a few more videos in 2021, and maybe that will result in more views/subs.
I have stayed in lake Louise, Fronenac, Lauirier, Banff and soon Montebello and I have love evryone
oh and the Palliser and queen Elizabeth
I cooked in the kitchen the famous Hotel Fort Garry in downtown Winnipeg, very near the train station. Fantastic place, totally refurbished around 1990, right before i was hired. I loved every minute of it
Stayed at the Banff Springs, and Lac Louise, beautiful walking trails at both.
Excellent video! This channel deserves way more subscribers
Thanks! Appreciate the kind words!
Great work, keep it up
My parents and sisters and I got to stay in the Royal Alex around 1962. My wife and I got married in the Fort Garry and, a few years ago, spent a couple of nights in the Algonquin. I can't see us ever affording the Banff Springs but it is on my major want-to-dos. Maybe we could walk around the lobby
It’s worth a visit, even just to check out the lobby!
Good video cheers!
Several things: first off, well produced video. Very well done. It was randomly shown to me and I’m excited to see more of your videos
The hotels have a special place in my heart. My mom’s second wedding was at the banff springs. I love it so much. I’m touched you talked about the hotel Mac. My first apartment was the McDonald estates, aka the box that it came it. At some point, the addition got turned into apartments. Lesser quality than the hotel Mac but one of the cheapest apartments in downtown Edmonton (price wise, not quality at all). So those two meant a lot to me. And my mom and step dad sometimes stay in the palliser when they visit me since I moved to Calgary. Those are the 3 I’ve visited (either stayed at or ate at). But it’s on my bucket list to visit all of them. Thank you for the video and insight.
Thanks! That’s awesome, I didn’t know they turned the box into apartments. What a place for a first apartment!
Excellently done. However the Prince Albert Hotel in Thunder Bay was forgotten.
Thanks for your kind words! That’s a good catch. I had a whole paragraph about the Prince Albert in my original script that didn’t make the cut, and it looks like I forgot to include it elsewhere! The Prince Albert was a very interesting piece of this story - sorry about the omission.
Great video!
Thanks!
goated video
I work in Ottawa, meer minutes away from the Chateau Laurier and the hotel, due to it's high level of luxury and being very close to the Canadian Parliament, prime minister's residence, Global Affairs Canada's headquarters and many more place foreign dignitaries visit, the Chateau Laurier now often get's used for diplomatic events, hosting multitudes of foreign dignitaries when they come to Ottawa. I also remember a while ago they wanted to add a box addition to the hotel that really didn't fit with the rest. Fortunately it was denied
The image at 2:29 is incorrectly labelled. The entire building is Windsor Station. The Windsor Hotel is not in the photo. It was about 100 m past the right side of St. George's Church (shown in the image) on Peel and the north side of Dorchester.
Ah, sorry about that mistake. Thanks for providing this information!
Thank you this was what I was looking for 👍
🇦🇺
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the great video about a subject that I love. I've only stayed in five (so far).
Q: Is the narrator from Nova Scotia?
Thank you. I always turn the sound off to remember my vision. And it is like the mountains of Tibet, a lovely Chinese lady with her video showing what the villagers are doing, in their masks. The people were making clay pyramids, and putting on a cover up for tourists. Those are no railway hotels. And everyone is in a deadly trance again. Clear as mud. xo
Aside the Château Frontenac, it was difficult to follow which of these hotels are still standing since you used almost exclusively old footage. Indeed, this is a great video, and the old footage is awesome, I just would have liked to know which are still around with some modern photos/footage
“The Tipton” from Suite Life of Zach and Cody = Hotel Vancouver
Is the Lord Nelson hotel in Halifax really considered a railwsy hotel? It is located on the very edge of the central business district, quite far from passenger rail service. In contrast, the Hotel Novascotian is located directly adjacent to the railway station (and much closer to Downtown).
After a few rough decades, both establishments are now doing well. They are holding their own against some newer luxury hotels like the Sheraton.
I've stayed at the Fort Gary in Winnipeg. Nice hotel but the room was terribly uncomfortable. The humidity was so high in the room that we thought maybe the bed was wet.
Oh no! Hopefully you can stay at a more comfortable one some day!
I live in Quebec City since I was 4 and dreamed to spend a night in the chateau Frontenac. Too expensive for me however so I resort to just going in the Starbucks that found its way inside
I got to stay at Banff and Lake Louise hotels. I wish I could stay in more hotels but can not. Those railway hotels should still be in Canadian's hands. Also Canada should have train service like other countries. That would help a lot. I am from Edmonton and I am glad the box is gone.
These hotels were majestic during their heydays in early and mid 20th century but not anymore. They are impressive from the outside but from the inside, the rooms are small, with small windows and some with just 2 electrical outlets so you have to power your phone in the bathroom outlet. Because they have the Fairmount luxury brand, their prices are really high and guests say it is not worth it.
An enjoyable and quite informative video, thank you. Just one suggestion: please don't plug these cheesy classics into the sound track; they are not connected to the visuals in any way, distracting and way too loud. Other than that, nice work.
No mention of CP's Château Champlain, built in 1966?
What about the Fairmount Mont-Tremblant? It looks chateau style.
The Bessborough in Saskatoon is beautiful.
The Hotel Saskatchewan is also a grande hotel. Every bit as nice as the Bess on the inside, but the exterior doesn't match.
I've stayed there and loved it. My boss who was Swiss did not like it. I've stayed in Swiss hotels also; just like any big hotel in any big city.
Go ignore depth on your hotels like Banff Springs. What a hotel. Anybody who lives in Banff can get a job there
What a place with scenery.
Thank God we brought civilization to North America
Charles Melville Hays died on the titanic, on his way to Jasper to over see the building of grand trunks new hotel being planned there. Fun fact!
Interesting! Thanks for sharing!
1:10 There were no railways in Canada in the 18th century (nor anywhere else in the world).
Yeah, I didn’t really describe this well I guess. There were some freight transport tramway systems around for coal transport in the 1700s, which is what I was referring to, but I recognize that this video makes it seem like you could take a passenger train at that time. Sorry about that!
"The story of the beginning of Canada is the story of its railways"
You could say "The story of modern Canada begins with the railway", but the beginning of Canada starts a few centuries before that...
Fair enough!
“Booming Canadian economy” wish I lived then.
You don’t think its boomng now? You have got to be a social crank , our economy is currently red hot . , lowest unemployment rate in years which is why we have to allow more immigration which I would bet really pisses you off and , oh yea , you despise Justin Trudeau
Move to Uganda or try luxury living in North Korea. I’m sure you’ll love it.
Cry cry cry some more
The economy and workers living standards have never been linked. Corporations are doing just fine… a vast number of Canadians have had their home value go up 500% if not more. Us (predominantly younger) workers aren’t protesting or doing anything about it. How much worse do things have to get?
You are so naive
What are the songs you used here.
I do cherish our old railway hotels and their historic designations. But the interiors are not protected, and are going under the worst form of renovation you can imagine: modernizing and minimizing, ending up looking like a white on white Starship Enterprise.
Does this cover the Empress in Victoria?
I do mention the Empress in the video, but unfortunately didn’t have time to cover it in much detail!
Excellent video . Though I loved the music , it got a little loud at some points overpowering your narration .
Thanks for the feedback! I’ll try to fix that in future videos.
Possibly Vancouver's greatest architectural loss was the demolition of the Hotel Vancouver (mark2). It's pictured briefly in this video (the "Italian Rennaissance" example). What aren't visible are the large, terra cotta moose and bison heads that graced its upper exterior. What character it had!
Such an incredible building. I wonder if any of the moose and bison heads were saved.
prince of wales (waterton) should be on this list
My goal is to stay in all of them before I die
Me too! They are such a wonderful place to stay. It’s great when a hotel can be an experience in itself!
Labradour wasn't part of NFLD until the 1990s
Labrador has been part of Newfoundland since 1809. In 2001 Newfoundland was officially renamed to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Was St Andrew's by the sea nor a CP hotel
It's hard to stop a train
I always wonder why these hotels were build the same, now I know ....
Prince of wales hotel?
What about the Royal York?
It's mentioned and shown several times.
🏨🚂
The biggest issue now is not the destruction of the hotels, rather architectural vandalism, like the monstrosities approved for Château Laurier
Yeah, that’s a rough one for sure!
Eighteenth century? If we're talking about the first railroad ever, then yes. That's accurate. But in Canada? I'm afraid not.
Every modern big name hotel is made of glass, designed to cram as many condos in the top floors as possible, and all look generic. I miss innovative architecture like this.
The only beautiful building in Edmonton 😊
The original boomers
The incessant and wholly unnecessary music in the background is way too loud and makes what is being said very nearly unintelligible. Even as Clear as Mud. 🙄😖🤬
Will adjust in future videos. Thanks for the feedback!
I'd work with your sound settings then
I did not find this to be the case
Look 👀 like this hotels where build by ancient people long time ago.
For a country that's only 154 years old, the turn of the 20th century is pretty much ancient history!
you bet..tartarian empire..mudfloods..star fortress...
I’ve stayed in the Fairmont Empress on Vancouver Island. It’s not really covered in this video, but it’s one of the best, even though it’s on an island where trains never went (it was built as the terminus hotel for Canadian Pacific's steamship line).
Would love to visit them all but I don’t think it’s going to happen! 🇦🇺
Although a very informative video, the author ruined it with the loud "background" music. It should be remixed with more subtle music and more accurately represents the chapters.