History
After the Canadian Pacific
Railway built a railway hotel in Regina in 1926, the Saskatoon business
community lobbied Canadian National Railway to build one in Saskatoon. On
December 31, 1928 Sir Henry Thorton, President of the Canadian National Railway,
announced that they would build a similar hotel in Saskatoon. The hotel was
designed by Archibald and Schofield of Montreal, and intentionally designed to
resemble a Bavarian castle. In February, 1930, the excavation of the site
began utilizing a steam thawer and gasoline excavator. Materials used in
construction were of Canadian origin including Tyndall stone from Manitoba,
brick from the Claybank Brick Plant in Claybank, Saskatchewan,and tiles from
Estevan, Saskatchewan. In exchange for building a "chateau" style hotel with a
minimum of 200 rooms, the city exempted the railway from property tax on the
hotel for twenty-five years
On May 30, 1931, Walter
Pratt, General Manager of Hotels, Sleeping and Dining Cars of the Canadian
National Railway announced that Sir Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough and
14th Governor General of Canada had given consent for the hotel to be formally
named “The Bessborough”. The Earl and Countess visited the hotel under
construction in 1932. Construction was completed in 1932 but due to the
difficult financial times of the Great Depression, the hotel failed to open
until Horace N. Stovin became the first official registered guest on December
10, 1935.
In 1972, Donald, Dick, and
Marc Baltzan purchased the Bessborough. Canadian Pacific Hotels purchased
Canadian National Hotels in 1982. The Bessborough was placed under CP Hotels'
subsidiary Delta Hotels during the 1990s. In 1999, CP Hotels and Delta Hotels
were placed under Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. It was acquired by the Legacy
Hotels Real Estate Investment Trust in 1998 and in 1999, that a $9,000,000
restoration of the Bessborough Hotel would be completed, returning many of its
historical features. The hotel underwent a major renovation in
2003.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Bessborough
Railway built a railway hotel in Regina in 1926, the Saskatoon business
community lobbied Canadian National Railway to build one in Saskatoon. On
December 31, 1928 Sir Henry Thorton, President of the Canadian National Railway,
announced that they would build a similar hotel in Saskatoon. The hotel was
designed by Archibald and Schofield of Montreal, and intentionally designed to
resemble a Bavarian castle. In February, 1930, the excavation of the site
began utilizing a steam thawer and gasoline excavator. Materials used in
construction were of Canadian origin including Tyndall stone from Manitoba,
brick from the Claybank Brick Plant in Claybank, Saskatchewan,and tiles from
Estevan, Saskatchewan. In exchange for building a "chateau" style hotel with a
minimum of 200 rooms, the city exempted the railway from property tax on the
hotel for twenty-five years
On May 30, 1931, Walter
Pratt, General Manager of Hotels, Sleeping and Dining Cars of the Canadian
National Railway announced that Sir Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough and
14th Governor General of Canada had given consent for the hotel to be formally
named “The Bessborough”. The Earl and Countess visited the hotel under
construction in 1932. Construction was completed in 1932 but due to the
difficult financial times of the Great Depression, the hotel failed to open
until Horace N. Stovin became the first official registered guest on December
10, 1935.
In 1972, Donald, Dick, and
Marc Baltzan purchased the Bessborough. Canadian Pacific Hotels purchased
Canadian National Hotels in 1982. The Bessborough was placed under CP Hotels'
subsidiary Delta Hotels during the 1990s. In 1999, CP Hotels and Delta Hotels
were placed under Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. It was acquired by the Legacy
Hotels Real Estate Investment Trust in 1998 and in 1999, that a $9,000,000
restoration of the Bessborough Hotel would be completed, returning many of its
historical features. The hotel underwent a major renovation in
2003.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Bessborough