Dec. 28, 1966: Chateau Lacombe opens, minus revolving La Ronde restaurant
Its revolving restaurant wasn’t quite ready, but most of the Chateau Lacombe unofficially opened for business in time to bring in the new year.
Although the circular, 24-storey hotel didn’t open officially until Feb. 14, the fourth and fifth floors were ready for guests immediately.
Part of the sixth floor was also ready, and the Chevalier Grill waiters were ready to serve dinner that night.
The entrance to the Chevalier Grill was guarded by a menacing Maxim machine-gun, vintage 1895, mounted on a gun carriage and attended by a mannequin, dressed in the uniform of the North West Mounted Police.
Hotel manager K.E. Mackell said the much-publicized LaRonde revolving restaurant would be finished by the official opening day.
The restaurant, at 102 feet in diameter, was the largest of its type in the world at the time. LaRonde takes one hour and 30 minutes to complete one revolution, offering views of downtown and the river valley.
The name Chateau Lacombe was chosen to honour the memory of Father Albert Lacombe, an Oblate missionary and pioneer priest. Lacombe was instrumental in the foundation, settlement and growth of Alberta in the late 1800s. The hotel is now known as the Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe.