By- Taylor Lachance

Every important monument or landmark is unique and treasured in its own way. Our canal is the largest outdoor skating rink in the world and we can proudly say we started the Beavertail craze.

Ottawa hotels are also up there on the landmark list, especially the Lord Elgin. And what makes this hotel so exclusive? Its two vital trademark pieces: the busts.

The busts of Lord and Lady Elgin (Governor General of British North America from 1847 – 1854) were shipped to the hotel from Lord Elgin in Scotland in 1941 on a warship as a gift. McKenzie King wrote in his letter to Lord Elgin in April 1941:

“I need not tell you that personally I experienced a feeling of real delight when I received your letter. The more I have thought of its generous proposal, and the singular appropriateness of such a gift, the greater has been my feeling of pleasure.”

The Lord Elgin busts sat in this hotel, as intended, from the time of the hotel’s opening in July 1941, until they were lent to the NCC in 2003 and remain there to this day. They were borrowed by the NCC for an exhibit, with the promise of returning them to the hotel, but were never returned. Instead, the NCC had replicas made that now stand in our lobby.

Everyone, including Lord Elgin himself, feel the busts should be returned to the hotel – their intended home. NCC maintains that Rideau Hall is a safer and more secure location where they will be viewed by many. Realistically, the traffic through the hotel far exceeds that through Rideau Hall. Our guests have loved hearing this story through the years. It is part of our identity – our history.

What are your thoughts on this issue? Bring back the busts, or have them stay at Rideau Hall?

By – Taylor Lachance

The weekend is fast approaching, and you’ve got dinner plans with friends. They decide you’re picking the restaurant, but it has to be somewhere new. You think, where could I take them where they would ooooh and ahhh all night? Somewhere that would wow them.

Make your way into downtown Ottawa, and pop in to the newly renovated Grill 41, located in the Lord Elgin Hotel. Giving off a warm, elegant vibe, and featuring a wide variety of menu options, Grill 41 is a hit.

Grill 41 also features a private dining room, ideal for small group gatherings, meetings and banquets.

But it’s not just the atmosphere and menu choices that make Grill 41 Ottawa’s new it place to be, it’s the friendly staff, beautifully presented plates, and exquisite food. The staff is polite, efficient and make you feel very welcome. The food prepared by new chef Brian Vallipuram, looks almost too divine to eat when placed in front of you.

Take a peek for yourself though with these pictures of the restaurant and menu items. Picture yourself, with a loved one or friend on Friday after work, glass of wine in hand, relaxing after a long day’s work. With each plate served, your taste buds will be teased and a week of stress will slip away. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

By- Taylor Lachance

Rainy days, stuck inside playing board games with friends. Purchasing a new pair of rubber boots and matching rain coat. Sun shining, birds chirping and flowers blooming. These basic elements are what spring time is made of.

With warmer days lying ahead, it’s safe to say our blustery Canadian winter is waving goodbye for another year. Today, March 21, marks the first day of spring. Time to put away your winter gear, and check out what Ottawa has in store this spring season.

The Home and Garden show makes its way to the capital this week, from Thursday to Sunday. Bring a friend or family member down to Lansdowne and marvel at the model homes, hot tubs and gardens galore. Get decorative ideas to renovate or landscape your own pad. At twelve dollars a ticket, you can’t go wrong.
For all you social media addicts out there, Twestival Ottawa is right up your alley. This Twitter Festival has gone local this year, and the chosen charity is the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health. Hosted by the Westin Hotel, one ticket gets you admission into the festival, snacks, a chance to chat with Twitter friends, and helping out a great cause. Tickets start at thirty dollars, but are selling fast!

The Algonquin College public relations program is hosting its annual fundraiser. This year, they paired with the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, and have a number of events in store. Tomorrow night, they are hosting an alumni meet and greet at the Aulde Dubliner, followed by a silent auction and battle of the DJs at Pier 21 on Wednesday. A video game night and stand up comedy at Absolute are also happening this month. Check out www.squashthestigma.com for further details.

The nation’s capital has a serious case of spring fever- are you ready to join?

Thursday, February 3rd marked the kick off for the campaign for Heart and Stroke Foundation. The Lord Elgin was approached and gladly agreed to illuminate the hotel in red for the month of February in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. At 5pm yesterday, we turned on the �red� and will leave them on for the rest of the month in support of this much needed cause. The Residence Inn by Marriott has joined us in this campaign and will also be lit in red during the month of February. We are both owned by the same company and share in many of our initiatives.
While I was at a conference today in a session on Social Media, the speaker made a very important point that made me think about our hotel. She (Tara Hunt) spoke of �generosity� and how important it is in gaining a following on Social Media. It was akin to the philosophy of �paying it forward� . It struck a chord with me, as it something our hotel has stood for through the years and is one of the main reasons I have chosen to work at the Lord Elgin.
We have been part of this community for 70 years now and have some very deep ties. Much of our success is due to the partnerships we have and mutual support we get from the festivals and organizations that we support and the arts community that we sponsor. I recall 30 years ago, when I was a reservation agent here for my summer job, Sister Gertrude Wadsworth walking into Don Blakslee�s office (the General Manager who was here for over 50 years) to arrange for donation of beds and bedding for her summer camps. She was by often for support. Don had created that reputation in the community. The Boys and Girls Club were always dropping by as well as other clubs and charities. We have given away rooms for Remembrance Day for the families coming to Ottawa to mark that special day, we started the Chef�s Charity Caf� , as well as sponsored choral groups, artists, festivals, galleries, NCC, NAC media and more. We gave away over 300 roomnights last year in donations to charities, both in Ottawa and outside our city. We recognize that the more we support our community, the stronger we are together and I mean that sincerely. It is the festivals, the gallieries and museums, the arts community and the beauty of this city that make us a vibrant place to live and visit. It all comes back around!
The family that owns our hotel is more generous than we all know. Pat Gillin, who passed away over a year ago, was a quiet giver � to his community, his school – University of New Brunswick, his church and to many causes that were close to his heart. That tradition continues today.
So with the red lights on tonight, the tradition continues� and I am proud to be part of it all.

Ottawa has become a real �foodie� city�with fantastic chef�s and cuisine that rivals many major cities of North America. Ottawa�s Celebrity Chef Event at the NAC is proof that we have some of the best chef�s in our town and we are loving it!

The Lord Elgin is so excited to announce the arrival of our new chef, Brian Vallipuram on January 24th. Brian is coming to us all the way from Panorama BC where he has been Executive Chef at Panorama Resort for two years. Prior to that, he has worked at the Ritz Carleton in Jamaica as well as Axcess & 1055 Restaurant and Catering. Most notably, Brian spent over 10 years as Executive Chef at the highly reputed restaurant, North 44 in Toronto, where he lead a large team that serviced both the restaurant, but also the catering business and played a vital role in the opening event of the Air Canada Centre for the Premier and 1000 of his guests.

Brian�s resume contains a very extensive list of certificates and awards he has received over his career, among them, the Canadian Red Seal Certificate. He has travelled extensively throughout Europe and Asia adding that global influence to his culinary talents.

We are honoured to have him with us and hope you can come by to sample his creations in the coming months.

The true success of a hotel is largely attributed to it’s people, the staff that come in at 6:30 and work on their feet all day greeting guest after guest, smiling, asking how their stay was, or the day was, giving suggestions, showing they care and genuinely want them to enjoy their time with us. Some that start at 6:30 are still here at 11pm.
This is not an easy job and so when you have those gems, those people that just live to put a smile on someone’s face, they are golden!!! They are the ones that create a memoriable experience and make guests want to come back.
Our tourism office has a program to recognize these gems – called ‘Stars of the City’. Visitors and guests to our city nominate these individuals and companies that make our city ‘shine’ and they are awarded at a lovely gala evening in October put on by the students at Algonquin’s College Hospitality Program.

We are so very fortunate not only to have a slew of ‘stars’ but some Shining Stars – Tammy Ng who is nominated again this year among three nominees for the dozens of nominations she receives each year and Christopher Ward at our front desk, who has been nominated in the past and who genuinely loves to help people and they always mention him in their feedback to us. They inspire others and make us all so proud to work here. For this we are nominated as one of three for Star Property – an honour!
Working in this industry, while not easy, has a personal element that makes it so very special. I hope our kids recognize that service is so important – to go out of your way to make someone’s day. I would like to thank all of you who take the time to recognize our Stars!!

We are so excited and cannot wait to open the doors to our new restaurant – Grill 41!! Opening next week, on September 23rd, this restaurant has an entire new look and feel from the Elgin Cafe. With a lovely bar and fabulous private dining room, it will be a perfect spot for a meal, an after work bevie or a private party for up to 30.
Chef Aurelio Petraglia brings his red seal credentials and wealth of culinary experience from some of the finest five star restaurants in Canada and around the world to Grill 41. Petraglia started his career as an intern in Burgundy, France, at Bernard Loiseau’s three Michelin Star restaurant and has since gone on to work in Toronto, Dubai and most recently as the Executive Chef for the Relais & Ch�teaux Pavilions in Phuket, Thailand.

The menu has been developed in consultation with Chef Michael Smith. Chef Smith has provided the table d�h�te menu with a sampling of his favourite flavours. The selection includes the Chef�s famed Chowder, with PEI mussels, lobster, scallops and whitefish, Grilled Rib Eye with rosemary mushroom gravy and Just-baked Molten Dark Chocolate Cake. A portion of the proceeds from these dishes will be donated to the Ottawa Food Bank.

So please join us after September 23rd to sample the fabulous fare and sample our signature dish Tarte Flambe. You will love it!

We are so excited to see the finishing touches go on our new restaurant… Grill 41 – opening September 23rd.

We closed the Elgin Cafe in early July and gutted the room completely before creating the new layout and desing, which is finally coming to completion. They are progressing so quickly this week – the bar is in, the painting done and tomorrow the carpets will be installed. By next Thursday (23rd Sept), we will open our doors to Grill 41 and I can’t wait.
Aurelio Petraglia is our new Chef and he comes with a very impressive resume. Born in Uruguay, he brings his red seal credentials and wealth of culinary experience from some of the finest five star restaurants in Canada and around the world to Grill 41. Aureleo started his career as an intern in Burgundy, France, at Bernard Loiseau’s three Michelin Star restaurant and has since gone on to work in Toronto, Dubai and most recently as the Executive Chef for the Relais & Ch�teaux Pavilions in Phuket, Thailand.
Our menu was developed by Petraglia with consultation with Chef Michael Smith. Chef Michael Smith has provided the table d�h�te menu with a sampling of his favourite flavours. The selection includes the Chef�s famed Chowder, with PEI mussels, lobster, scallops and whitefish, Grilled Rib Eye with rosemary mushroom gravy and Just-baked Molten Dark Chocolate Cake. A portion of the proceeds from these dishes will be donated to the Ottawa Food Bank.

So come one, come all and sample our signature dish – Tarte Flamb

Ottawa’s Winterlude festival just keeps getting better. I e-mailed my colleague at the National Capital Commission on Monday to tell him just how impressed I was with just everything… the ice carvings across Elgin in Confederaton Park are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen and the ice was in the best condition I have ever experienced, even with the thousands of people skating and walking the length of it. Congrats for pulling off an amazing event!! You cannot beat the experience of skating the canal on a sunny day. Makes you feel so alive. We had the ideal combo of Winterlude, Valentines and Family Day – three great excuses to be out and about.
One of the best parts of working in a hotel that is so front and center, is that you feel the energy, the buzz and excitement of festivals such as this. The guests are in and out with their skates and dropping by for a hot chocolate or coffee at Starbucks. We have 3 TV’s in our lobby with Olympic coverage going on as well. It’s like having your house full of guests. It feels so alive and vibrant – just as a hotel should be.
We are gearing up for our final weekend of Winterlude and reservations are coming in fast. If you haven’t been, don’t miss it!!

As I have mentioned before, our owner, who recently passed away, was very involved in this community and his roots not just go far back in Ottawa, but in our national history.

Recently I was honored to attend a ceremony where our owner’s family (Gillin) donated a Ship’s Bell that came from one of Canada’s first warships. It just so happened that Lord and Lady Elgin were visiting at the time and could take part. The connection I speak of is outlined in this letter from our owner to the Navy, written in August 2007. It makes one realize that Canada is such a young country and some of our very early history goes back only a few generations.

August 20, 2007

Ms. Marilyn Gurney
Director & Chief Historian
Maritime Command Museum
2725 Gottingen Street
Po Box 99000, Station Forces
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3K 5X5

Dear Ms. Gurney

I have recently read an article in The Ottawa Citizen regarding the discovery of TR-4, a Canadian minesweeper in the First World War, and the ship�s bell which is now in the possession of your museum.

I have inherited a ship�s bell �HMS Patrician�, which I believe was given to my grandfather George J. Desbarats in the 1920�s (photo enclosed).

The following is an excerpt from �Naval Services of Canada�.

The �Patrician� was originally commissioned on July 27, 1916 for service in the destroyer flotillas of the Grand Fleet. By the end of the war, she had not seen action, but had been employed on patrol and anti � submarine duties in the North Sea.

On May 26, 1919, the destroyers Patrician & Patriot were selected for Canada and were gratefully accepted by the Canadian Government as the first destroyers in the Canadian Navy.

The H.M.C.S. Patrician was commissioned on November 1, 1920 at Devonport, England, and then sailed to Halifax. She was stationed at Esquimalt from 1922-28. By 1927, the Patrician and the Patriot were worn out and the Government decided to build two destroyers to replace them. The �Patrician� was �paid off� in 1928.

H.M.(C).S. Patrician � of the first oil burning (instead of coal) destroyers built by Britain. Displacement 1004 tons, h.p 27,500 speed 35k; size 271� x 27 � x 11�. Complement of 80. Guns � 3 � 4�, 6 smaller; 4 -21 torpedo tubes.

The Deputy Minister at that time was George J. Desbarats my grandfather, born in Quebec, P.Q. in 1861, he became a Civil Engineer. He obtained a wide experience in engineering work connected with canals & railways. In 1901 Desbarats became director of the government shipyard at Sorel, and in 1908 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Marines & Fisheries. He was D.M. & Comptroller of the Naval Service from May 5, 1910 until the consolidation of 1922, and in 1924 he became Deputy Minister of National Defence. He retired in 1932 and died in 1944. Desbarats� authority & influence considerably exceeded those of most Deputy � Ministers, as he had no Minister for the first two decades of its existence, he probably had more to do with the moulding of the service than any other man.

As I am now 82 years old, I would like to know if the Maritime Command Museum or other Museum�s might be interested in a gift of this bell upon my death.

I would appreciate hearing from you in this regard.

Yours truly,

M. Patrick Gillin