"19th century-1928: the wooden manor
Since the mid-19th century, the Charlevoix region has welcomed tourists, notably cruise passengers from the Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company and then from the Canada Steamship Lines (CSL). The region does not have a prestigious hotel to receive these distinguished guests. Rodolphe Forget proposed to the board of the Richelieu Ontario company, which already owned a large hotel in Tadoussac, to build a large hotel in Pointe-au-Pic, which has had a steamboat dock since 1853.
Construction of Manoir Richelieu began in 1898. It was officially inaugurated on June 15, 1899 and then had 250 luxury rooms.
On September 12, 1928, while employees were busy closing the hotel for the winter, it was completely razed by fire.
1929-1969: new manor and new owner
The following winter, Manoir Richelieu was rebuilt according to the instructions of architect John Smith Archibald and passed into the hands of the CSL. The new hotel has 350 rooms.
In 1966, the Canada Steamship Line stopped using the St. Lawrence River. She sold the mansion to the Warnock Hersey company.
1969-1975: Hersey and Dempsey
In 1971, the mansion was sold to the American John B. Dempsey.
1975-1985: Government of Quebec
In 1975, Dempsey declared bankruptcy, the mansion was taken over the following year by the Quebec government for a sum varying, depending on the sources, from one4 to eleven8 million dollars.
1986-1993: Raymond Malenfant
In December 1985, the municipal assessment of the mansion was five million dollars and its book value was 10 million. The government of Quebec accepts a purchase offer of $555,555.55 made by Raymond Malenfant on the condition that the latter undertakes to invest 12 million in fixed assets over the following two years as well as two million in advertising over five years. Malenfant renovated the manor from top to bottom, equipping it with new windows, electric heating, refurbishing the walls and ceilings, the plumbing, etc. The manor was officially sold to him on April 16, 1986.
Following this acquisition, Malenfant does not recognize the employees' union, affiliated with the Confederation of National Unions (CSN). A conflict ensued between Malenfant and the approximately 300 former employees.
The businessman hires subcontractors who employ approximately 200 new non-union employees. The mansion officially opened its doors on May 18, 1986. Former employees, led by union president Louiselle Pilote and supported by the CSN, demonstrated on several occasions. They are kept away from the mansion by police officers.
On October 25, the conflict was marked by the death of demonstrator Gaston Harvey, suffocated by a Sûreté du Québec agent during a demonstration in support of employees.
A decision of the Supreme Court of Canada, the Bibeault decision handed down for another cause on December 22, 1988, indirectly supported Malenfant by limiting the powers of the Quebec labor commissioner.
Since 1994
The hotel is experiencing new growth with the arrival of the Charlevoix Casino. The hotel was expanded and renovated in 1998-99. In 2002, the hotel was managed by a company made up of Loto-Québec, the Solidarity Fund of the Quebec Federation of Workers and Canadian Pacific. The hotel is hosting the G7 summit in 2018."