Fleck/Paterson House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fleck/Patterson House |
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Fleck/Paterson House; currently the Algerian Embassy in Ottawa.
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| Location | Ottawa |
| Address | 500 Wilbrod Street |
| Coordinates | 45°25′49″N 75°40′24″W / 45.4303°N 75.6733°W |
| Ambassador | Hocine Meghar |
The Fleck/Paterson House is a special old building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was built way back in 1903 as a large family home. Over the years, it has been used for many different things. Today, it serves as the official Algerian Embassy to Canada. This means it's where Algeria's representatives work and live in Canada.
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A House with a Story
This grand house has a long and interesting past. It was built by a famous person and later became home to a Canadian politician.
From Family Home to Senator's Residence
The house was built between 1901 and 1903 by J.R. Booth. He was a very wealthy "lumber baron," meaning he made a lot of money from the timber industry. Mr. Booth built this beautiful home for his daughter, Gertrude, and her husband, Andrew Fleck.
The house was designed by an architect named John W.H. Watts. He also designed another important building called Booth House. Gertrude Fleck lived in the house until she passed away in 1940.
After Gertrude's death, a politician named Norman Paterson bought the house. He was a Senator, which is a member of the Canadian Parliament's upper house. Senator Paterson lived in the house for many years, until he died in 1983.
An Empty House and New Plans
After Senator Paterson passed away, the house was bought by people who wanted to turn it into a retirement home. But their plans didn't work out. The house was left empty for several years. During this time, it suffered some damage from vandals and water.
In 1989, a local developer named Robert Van Eyk bought the house. He paid about $1.3 million for it. His idea was to turn it into a "bed and breakfast" (a place where people can stay overnight and get breakfast). However, the city stopped this plan. The house was only allowed to be used as a family home, a rule called "zoning."
In 1992, the building was sold again for just over a million dollars. This time, it was bought by a group called Maharishi Heaven on Earth Development Corp.. They wanted to use the house as a meditation center and as the main office for a political group called the Natural Law Party of Canada. They spent almost two million dollars to fix up the house. It was fully restored and looked beautiful again.
Home to an Embassy
In 2002, the Maharishi Corp. sold the building to the country of Algeria. Algeria bought the house for $2.95 million. This was one of the highest prices ever paid for a house in Ottawa at the time. It was also the highest price ever paid for a historic home in the city.
Today, the Fleck/Paterson House proudly serves as the Algerian Embassy. It is a key place for diplomatic relations between Algeria and Canada.
