Eaton's Ninth Floor Restaurant facts for kids
The Eaton's Ninth Floor Restaurant, often called "The Ninth Floor" or "Le 9e," is a famous old restaurant in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is known for its beautiful Art Deco design. This restaurant closed in 1999 after being open for 68 years. Since then, it has not been open to the public. This special place is even a registered historical site.
Contents
A Look Back: The Restaurant's History
How the Ninth Floor Began
The idea for the Ninth Floor Restaurant came from Lady Eaton. She was the wife of the very wealthy owner of the Eaton's department stores. Lady Eaton wanted to bring her ideas of "class and style" to the main Eaton's stores.
In 1925, Eaton's bought a three-story building in Montreal. They hired architects to make it taller. By 1927, it had six stories. Then, in 1930 and 1931, three more floors were added to the top.
Opening Day and Design
On January 26, 1931, Lady Eaton officially opened the large Art Deco restaurant on the 9th floor. A famous architect named Jacques Carlu designed the restaurant. His wife, Natacha Carlu, created the huge mural that covers a wall from the floor to the ceiling. The restaurant's design was inspired by the dining hall of a fancy ocean liner called the Ile de France. Even the hallway leading to the restaurant on the 9th floor has the same Art Deco style.
A Film About the Restaurant
In 1998, a movie called Les Dames du 9e (which means The Ladies of the 9th) was made. This film by the National Film Board of Canada was about the waitresses and the loyal customers of the restaurant.
Why the Restaurant Closed
The Final Day
The Eaton's department store company went out of business. Because of this, the Ninth Floor Restaurant closed its doors on October 14, 1999. To mark the end, a bagpiper played the song "Amazing Grace" as it closed for the last time.
Becoming a Heritage Site
After the restaurant closed and stayed empty, the government of Quebec gave the 9th floor restaurant a special "heritage status." This means it is recognized as an important historical place. There were plans to update the restaurant to modern safety rules, but these plans were never put into action.
What's Happening Now: The Future of the Ninth Floor
Current Condition
Today, the old restaurant is behind locked doors and is slowly getting worse. The main dining room, the lobby, and the bathrooms are still there. However, the kitchen area was taken out to make space for offices.
The current owners of the building are Ivanhoé Cambridge. They have not allowed news reporters or groups that want to save old buildings to see the site. In 2004, some "urban explorers" took pictures inside, showing how bad its condition was.
Uncertain Future
In 2014, a group called Heritage Montreal announced that the restaurant was "under observation." This was because the building's future was unclear. Another business that used to be in the building also closed in 2014. While parts of the building are being turned into an extension of the Montreal Eaton Centre, there are no plans for the 9th floor restaurant.
In 2015, Ivanhoé Cambridge allowed CTV News to visit the floor, but its future is still not decided. In September 2019, a person who wants to save the restaurant started a petition. This was to see how many people wanted to see the space brought back to life. The building's owner has said that it would cost about CA$15 million (Canadian dollars) to fix up the space so people could use it again.
Images for kids
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Bas-relief sculpture by Denis Gélin and Alfred Bottiau.
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The large mural by Natasha Carlu.
