Our Story
Maison O'Brien is located in the Outaouais region, in the heart of Gatineau Park, on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation, guardians for millennia of the Kichi Sibi (Ottawa River) and its tributaries. Hills and lakes, including Meech Lake, were places of passage, hunting, fishing, and gathering. We honor the knowledge, languages, and stories that endure there, as well as the generations that have shaped these landscapes. The history of Maison O'Brien is part of this continuity and calls for respect and collaboration with today's Algonquin communities.
The O'Brien Legacy
The O’Brien family, led by Ambrose, belonged to a powerful industrial dynasty. Owners of Confederation Construction, they built the National Transcontinental Railway through Crowsnest Pass and controlled, directly or indirectly, nearly 173 companies. With a keen interest in sports, its members founded the National Hockey Association in 1909, supported the Renfrew Millionaires, and contributed to the rise of the Montreal Canadiens.
When Ambrose O’Brien had his home built on the promontory overlooking Meech Lake, Wilson House was its only neighbor. Maison O'Brien, which he christened Kincora Lodge as a summer residence, was part of the early development of the Gatineau Hills. Thanks to the O’Briens’ prestige, it helped spur the area’s later growth. Today it is best known as Maison O'Brien, a symbol of both landscape and sporting heritage.
Architecture
Built in 1930 for Ambrose O’Brien by Ottawa architect W.E. Noffke, Kincora Lodge is a large two-and-a-half-story wooden house set on solid granite foundations. Its prominent hipped roof and cedar-shingle and faux-log cladding lend it a refined rustic character while blending Queen Anne and Shingle Style influences. The T-shaped plan is enlivened by turrets with pyramidal roofs, small-paned windows, and French doors opening onto broad stone terraces with wrought-iron railings, integrated into the hillside above Meech Lake.
The Square Old Chelsea team at the helm of Maison O'Brien
With recognized expertise in tourism and accommodation in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, Square Old Chelsea is taking over the operational management of Maison O'Brien to ensure an exemplary relaunch. Building on successes such as Les Lofts du Village, the Chelsea Pub, Biscotti & Cie, and the Distillerie du Square, our team is developing an 11-room boutique hotel, a gourmet offering open to the public, and spaces dedicated to weddings, meetings, and private events. With an integrated approach that combines high-end hospitality, well-being, and respect for the heritage of Gatineau Park, we guarantee a refined, authentic, and sustainable customer experience, from leisure stays to business trips.
A family story, with a female touch
Driven by Square Old Chelsea, Maison O'Brien is reborn in the hands of a local family. Manuela, a renowned entrepreneur, and her daughters Camilla and Elisa, combine their strengths to create a warm, simple, and authentic hospitality experience, rooted in their Chelsea heritage and hands-on experience.
Camilla launched Les Lofts du Village and manages accommodation and infrastructure. Elisa, an assistant director trained at ITHQ, is the voice and link to the community. Alongside their mother, they continue a tradition of family hospitality, where three women write the same story with care and generosity.
