The Hôtel Lac Carling, a longtime popular resort hotel in the northeast corner of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, had a major fire during the night on Friday, November 15.
According to Grenville-sur-la-Rouge Mayor Tom Arnold, there were no fatalities or injuries from the fire and 50 per cent of the building was destroyed.
The fire started at around 9 pm on Friday. The Grenville-sur-la-Rouge fire department was assisted by the fire departments of Brownsburg-Chatham, Lachute, Harrington, Grenville village, Saint-André-d’Argenteuil, and Wentworth. Hawkesbury, Mirabel, and St-Colomban fire departments had to cover parts of Argenteuil because their fire departments were too busy assisting at Lac Carling. At the peak of the fire, more than 75 firefighters were at the scene.
The resort is located on Route 327 between Pine Hill and Lost River, in a fairly remote area. Arnold said that made reaching the fire a challenge for firefighters.
“It’s not easy to deal with,” he commented.
The hotel, restaurant, and golf course complex has been a popular destination for tourists and area residents alike for decades. Originally owned by Ayers of Lachute, the resort formerly had a ski hill. The hotel building that burned was built in 1990.
Arnold said the fire is under investigation. According to a press release issued by the municipality of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge on Monday, November 18, the current owner, Montréal-based real estate conglomerate Olymbec, plans to rebuild the hotel as quickly as possible.
“Until they rebuild, there’s definitely going to be an economic loss,” he said.
Arnold is looking forward to further discussions with the resort’s owners.
The Lac Carling hotel was a significant local employer with around 50 employees. The hotel was on average, at 70 per cent occupancy. During the past four years, the hotel was very busy as a lodging location for film and television production taking place in the surrounding area.
The Lac Carling hotel was also a popular place for parties during the holiday season.
The day after the fire. Photos: James Morgan
