The Chateau Laurier Hotel was built on hallowed ground...

... Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

House of Commons Debates Ottawa July 6, 1908. The Hon. Robert Laird Borden (Leader of the Official Opposition): "...This proposal to thrust a hotel onto the grounds of parliament is so incongruous and unnecessary that I cannot understand how the government ever came to accede to it. I have already said and I repeat it, that it would be just as well for the government to have authorized the building of that hotel on one of the lawns in front of this building...This is national property."

"We take this national property immediately contiguous to and indeed forming part of the grounds of this parliament, and we propose to build a hotel upon it."

A speech presented by Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King to the House of Commons, April 24, 1928:

"...Ottawa is the focal centre of the Dominion; it is the heart of a nation that has grown great not only in its own affairs but in the affairs of the world at large...Nothing could be done which would be more in the future interests of the city than to have the land along both sides of the Ottawa river acquired for public purposes. Similarly, there should be secured the land along both sides of the Rideau river and the Rideau Canal."

"...I believe all the properties facing Parliament Hill should be owned and controlled by this government in order to prevent structures being erected thereon which may destroy the harmony and beauty of the buildings on this hill. More than that - and this does not relate to the present but to the future - I believe there should be acquired in connection with this capital and the sooner the better a great tract of land, in the nature of a national park, which will be a fitting adjunct to the capital of our country."

"This capital is the seat of the government of the country. It should be and it is more than the seat of government. It is here in the capital of Canada that we have the residence of the representative of His Majesty the King.It is here that we have the official residence of the diplomatic representative of the nation to the south, the legation of the United States. It will be the future home of the diplomatic representatives of other countries..."

"We have in the city archives which are second to none in any country in the world. We have a national art gallery with art treasures of great value to this nation. We have a national museum...We are planning at this time the development of important laboratories for scientific research."

"Our public buildings, as far as their architectural merits are concerned, are with few exceptions worthy of our country. In addition to the houses of parliament there are other public buildings which constitute exceptionally beautiful specimens of architecture, such as the Chateau Laurier."

No words....