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Canada: O’Brien House, a derelict mansion in Gatineau Park, is set to be converted in to a boutique hotel.
The owners of the nearby Wakefield Mill Hotel and Spa have signed a five-year lease, with 20-year option to renew, to reopen the property, which overlooks Meech Lake.
The property will be renamed the Kincora Lodge Boutique Hotel, and the National Capital Commission (NCC) will foot the bill for the $3.9 million restoration.
The plans for the building include 11 suites in the main house, which was built in 1930 businessman Ambrose O’Brien, and was originally known as Kincora Lodge. O’Brien founded the National Hockey Association, the predecessor to the NHL, and was a founding owner of the Montreal Canadiens.
The home was purchased by the federal government in 1964 and used as a conference centre, but has been vacant since the late 1980s.
An existing garage will be torn down and replaced with a new coach house that will contain conference facilities and three additional suites.
The new tenants plan to open the hotel by Canada’s 150th birthday on July 1, 2017.
