Russell Hotel (Ottawa)

The Russell Hotel was the most high profile hotel in Ottawa, Canada for many decades.

The hotel was located at the southwest corner of Sparks Street and Elgin. A small hotel was first built there in the 1840s and the small structure was originally named Campbell's Hotel. In the 1860s it came under new management and was renamed the Russell. Ottawa's status as the capital of the new country created a pressing demand for hotel space, and in the 1870s and 1880s the hotel was expanded and then completely rebuilt.

For many decades the Russell served as Ottawa's foremost hotel. Most Canadian politicians from this era spent time at the Russell, and Wilfrid Laurier lived there ten years before moving to Laurier House. International guests included Oscar Wilde and Anna Pavlova. It was at a dinner at the Russell where Lord Stanley offered a cup to the top Canadian hockey team, the genesis of the Stanley Cup.

In 1912, however, the Château Laurier succeeded the Russell as Ottawa's premier hotel. The Russell closed in 1925. After being abandoned for three years, a fire broke out in 1927, and the hotel was almost destroyed. The remains of the structure were demolished. The federal government expropriated the site, and used the land to expand Elgin Street to create Confederation Square.

References

*Atherton, Tony. "Ottawa's Shoebox." "The Ottawa Citizen". Feb 5, 2005. pg. B.4
*Charles Gordon. "Old realities in a new decade 1900-1909" "The Ottawa Citizen". Ottawa: Jan 4, 2000. pg. 1.