Travellers who come to Estérel Resort for the first time are always in awe of this building due to its unique architecture that makes it look like a cruise ship forever anchored in the middle of the Laurentian forest.
It should be noted that almost a hundred years ago the building was an integral part of one of the most ambitious resort projects in North America—Domaine Estérel—a certain Belgian baron’s dream. Although little known, this story left its mark and propelled Quebec’s entry into modern architecture, and it deserves to be told today.
Baron Louis Empain’s vision
In the early 20th century, Belgium was one of the most developed nations in the world, and its influence had spread around the globe. A member of the Belgian nobility, Baron Louis Empain (1908-1976) was a wealthy philanthropist, entrepreneur and son of Edouard Empain, a business partner and friend of Belgian king Leopold II. His Canadian adventure began in 1935 on a study trip meant to revive Belgian economic activity in Quebec.
The Baron was known for his independent and enterprising spirit, as well as his penchant for art, travel, sports and the outdoors. It was during his adventures not far from Sainte-Adèle that he discovered a pure playground—vast green expanses dotted with wooded hills whose reliefs carved out magnificent lakes that reflected a yet un-named beauty: the Masson, Nord and Dupuis lakes.
The Baron was smitten and dreamed big. He acquired 3,000 acres of this land as soon as 1935, which he named “Domaine Estérel” after a region on the Provencal coast that joins the Mediterranean Sea east of Var, in France. In old slang, Estérel meant “beautiful starry sky” or “steep gorge/chasm.” Empain was already dreaming of building what would later be recognized as the first four-season resort in Quebec.
Antoine de Courtens’s Art Deco
During its first year in 1936, the vast estate was expanded to 7,000 acres and its first buildings were built. Baron Empain then called on an old friend, eminent architect Antoine de Courtens, to build what was going to be one of the first instances of modern architecture in Canada. They both preferred “chic European modern” over the “historical romantic” architecture that was usually found in Quebec (Manoir Richelieu, Hôtel Tadoussac, etc.).
De Courtens, who had a natural talent for architecture, was inspired by the Belgian pavilion at the 1937 Paris World’s Fair. He used an international style known as Art Deco, known for its large white concrete buildings with round, open and welcoming shapes. Art Deco was the avant-garde architectural style of 1920s and 1930s Brussels. It created a stunning contrast with the natural landscape and the Laurentian forest surrounding it.
In less than two years, about 20 buildings were erected around Pointe Bleue near Masson Lake. They included North America’s first shopping center, which had a Holt Renfrew, car repair shop, gas station, movie theatre, tobacco shop, ski boutique and stables.
Another major element of the estate was without a doubt the Pointe Bleue Hotel, which served as the Baron’s residence. It would become famous through its Blue Room, which after an opening night hosted by none other than Benny Goodman became the place to be in the Greater Montréal area. There was also a series of log cabins where prolific Belgian author George Simenon stayed and wrote one of his most acclaimed novels: Three Bedrooms in Manhattan.
The third building that was built on Domaine Estérel was the sporting club, where Estérel Resort currently stands and was located a little further out on the estate than the other buildings. Its ship-like architecture had living room spaces, a bar, a restaurant, a gym, a solarium, a badminton room and numerous cabins used as changing rooms.
Visitors were able to go outside and enjoy the beach as well as jump off a very tall diving board, which was nicknamed “the giraffe.” Watersports—which were extremely popular at the time—were all the rage here. In the summer of 1938, the provincial and Canadian swimming and diving championships were held there.
Many other events were held there, such as interprovincial motorboat races and other weekly sailboat races. In 1939, a brand-new sport made its appearance at the sporting club: water skiing. The Monte Carlo champion even came to stay at Domaine Estérel for a few weeks that year.
The end of a dream and the start of another
Canada’s entry into World War II cut Baron Empain’s dream short and was the beginning of a period of great turmoil at Domaine Estérel. At the time, foreign activities on Canadian soil were considered suspicious, so the army “sequestered” the entire estate and set up barracks, a mess hall and other military infrastructure there until 1944.
Shortly after the end of the war, a furious Baron Empain put the entire estate up for sale as well as all his property in Canada. The shopping center was renovated and reopened to the public while the Pointe Bleue Hotel became a convalescent home.
A new major player in the future of the estate would soon enter the picture at the end of the 1950s. Fridolin Simard came from the sky, literally. He was aboard his seaplane on his way to Montréal when a storm forced him to land on Masson Lake.
The Fridolin Simard Era
Hailing from Saint-Urbain, Charlevoix, Fridolin Simard was a seasoned entrepreneur who along with his brother started the Simard et frère construction company. In 1939, he was also Mayor of Amos and became the youngest mayor in Canada at the age of 29. He was also the president of the Union des municipalités du Québec and was therefore familiar with the urban planning, architecture and municipal world.
If it was by total chance that Simard landed in the area with his seaplane, what followed was a series of bold decisions. Together with his brother, he saw an opportunity to take over what Baron Empain left behind and build a vast housing development.
By the end of the 1950s, the estate was purchased and split, which created two new municipalities: Estérel and Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson. Claude La Haye, the father of urban planning in Quebec, was called upon to take over the development plan to build housing in harmony with the region’s extraordinary natural landscapes.
On the site of the former Baron Empain sporting club, Fridolin Simard—who became founding mayor of Estérel—built the hotel of the same name in 1962 with the help of architects Jean-Marie-Roy and Roger D’Astous. They later helped in developing a large residential subdivision on the shores of Nord Lake and Dupuis Lake.
Estérel Hotel quickly became a leading resort destination in Quebec, with its 124 rooms in a reinforced concrete building, a bold choice at the time. It was the golden age for Estérel. People went there year-round to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and practise various outdoor sports.
Today
Nearly sixty years later, Estérel Hotel—now known as Estérel Resort—is still in operation and its future is ensured by the third-generation descendants of the late Fridolin Simard. The former hotel is now part of a 200-suite multi-functional complex that includes two hotels, three restaurants, a Nordic spa, an Amerispa health center and a convention center, as well as the largest wine collection in Quebec.