Between 1835 and 1915, Caledonia Springs was the country’s most important spa and was host to thousands of curists and resort vacationers from Canada and the United States. These visitors came seeking the benefits of medicinal waters and the luxury of the Grand Hotel, renamed the Caledonia Springs Hotel after its acquisition by Canadian Pacific in 1905. Before the railway reached Caledonia Springs in 1896, L’Orignal was the gateway for the spa.

The four sources (saline, gaseous, sulfurous and intermittent) were reputed to relieve rheumatism and digestive problems. This spa centre was well known for its luxurious hotels, its upscale bath facilities and its wide range of social, cultural and sports activities. The closing of the Caledonia Springs Hotel in 1915 and of the bottling plant in 1919 provoked the gradual decline of Caledonia Springs. In 1947, the Adanac Inn was the last hotel to close. Today, all is quiet where the spa formerly stood, and only a few sparse ruins stand as witnesses of the glorious past of Caledonia Springs.

Michel Prévost, chief archivist at the University of Ottawa and president of the Société d’histoire de l’Outaouais, has written two books on Caledonia Springs. For the first time, he unveils his “treasures.” If you wish to help in enlarging this collection, please contact him by Email or at (613) 562-5825.

You are now invited to watch a feature story run in the series Ce Soir en couleur by Radio-Canada Ottawa-Gatineau.