A page in the history of Lake Memphremagog |
Past values well anchored in today's inspirationsSince it has opened in 2002, the restaurant has developped an enviable reputation based on its quality. The name of the restaurant comes from the luxury steamship that has sailed lake Memphremagog from 1850 to 1950. The era of luxury steamliners«At the turn of the 20th century, the Lake Memphrémagog landscape was marked by the presence of majestic steamliners, three of which were over one hundred feet in length: the Mountain Maid (1850-1892), the Lady of the Lake (1867-1917) and the Anthémis (1900-1954). The promoter of the Lady of the Lake, the most extravagant of the three, was Sir Hugh Allan, president of The Royal Allan Mail Line and arguably the richest man in Canada. This metal steamboat was built at the Barclay Kurle & Cie naval base on the Clyde River, Scotland. From there, the Lady of the Lake was transported, dissembled on the steamboat St-Georges, across the Atlantic to Portland, Maine, USA. Subsequently, the pieces were sent via rail to Sherbrooke and then towed by horses to Magog. There the steamer was assembled. Guided by Captain Handsyde, the Lady of the Lake embarked on her maiden voyage from Magog to Newport on September 20th, 1867. The steamer had two paddle wheels, two boilers, a capacity between eight to twelve hundred passengers (according to different historians), and was one hundred sixty seven feet in length. It did the Magog-Newport crossing twice a day. The Lady of the Lake was also used for dancing or orchestra excursions by moonlight. This luxury steamliner became an important economic factor because Lake Memphrémagog, then known as the "Canadian Lake Geneva", attracted tourists from all parts of the United States, particularly New England, New York City and Philadelphia.» Jacques Boisvert |