Hotel Fort Garry, Winnipeg

Hotel Fort Garry is no ordinary hotel. Designated as a national historic site, this hotel is soon going to turn a 100! It has stood proudly for the last 97 years and has defined the meaning of old world elegance. This grand hotel has become one of the most well known structures of the city and there may not be another hotel in the whole of Winnipeg that can vie with Hotel Fort Garry when it comes to historical importance and integrity.

Montreal architects Ross and MacFarlane designed the hotel after the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa and initially this hotel was supposed to be named the Selkirk. However, it was decided to name it the Fort Garry, after the fort (with the same name) that stood at the junction of the Assiniboine and Red rivers. The strategic location of the hotel on Broadway, between Fort and Garry Streets ensured that it was the first building tourists laid their eyes on when they entered the city, whatever direction the entered from. Incidentally, hotel Fort Garry was the first ever commercial establishment to come up on Broadway, and till date the only hotel to be built there.

The first indication one gets of Fort Garry’s beauty and elegance is when one walks into the lobby which is accessible from the grand exterior staircase. The main lobby stretches across 44 by 66 foot of space and to the eyes, the impression it conveys is that of rich luxury. High beamed ceilings, Caen stone walls, a glittering chandelier that make the focal point of the room, and Napoleon grey marble floor inlaid with Belgian black marble – the effect is indeed extraordinary. If you are not used to such sights, you may walk around in a daze trying to take in all the grandeur in front of you.

Even though there have been several changes in the hotel over the years, it has retained some of its original features. For instance, the mail chutes you see on each floor and the brass mailbox next to the elevators in the lobby are all from the time when the hotel was newly constructed. The Main Dining Room now referred to as the Provencher Room has, also been maintained in its original style and is used to host receptions and banquets. This room is one of the largest rooms in the hotel and extends along the length of the building.

The seventh floor, however, tells a different story. This is where the Crystal Ballroom and Concert Hall are located. These two rooms were converted into casinos in the 1990s, probably in an attempt to keep pace with the changing times. However, during the early months of 2000 the casino were done away with and the ballrooms were reinstated to their original use.

Each room in Hotel Fort Garry can tell you a story, each corner has a secret, and each original fixture carries many tales. Staying at this hotel is like walking into an era that is long gone but still kept alive in all its resplendent glory.