Description of Historic Place

Wabenaki Lodge sits among the trees at La Mauricie National Park of Canada where it enjoys a magnificent view of Lac à la Pêche. It is a two-storey, hipped roof structure, with upturned eaves, six overhanging hip dormers, and a brick chimney. It was constructed of contrasting materials, including fieldstone for the foundations, logs for the main block and shingles for the upper storey. A verandah is attached to the northeastern façade of the rear section of the building and provides access to the main door. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Wabenaki Lodge is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
Wabenaki Lodge is associated with the history of recreational fishing and hunting which, along with logging, have been the cornerstones of the economic development of the Trois-Rivières region for nearly 90 years. The lodge served as the kitchen and the members’ dining room for the Laurentian Club until 1952. It was then owned by the Wabenaki Fish and Game Club until it was expropriated by the Government of Quebec in 1972. In 1977 the lodge became part of La Mauricie National Park of Canada.

Architectural Value
Wabenaki Lodge is valued for its good aesthetic qualities. It is a recreational building, which is in keeping with the other buildings at the Laurentian Club. Of good functional design, the rustic interior features a dining room that overlooks the lake as well as exposed hewn beams on the ground floor, a William Maxwell (1874-1952) characteristic. The building is also valued for its very good craftsmanship and contrasting materials, including log construction, shingles and stone.

Environmental Value
Wabenaki Lodge reinforces the present character of its natural park setting at La Mauricie National Park of Canada, contributing to its surrounding landscape through its form and materials. It is a familiar building in the area.

Sources: Michel Bedard, Les gites Wabenaki et Andrew, lac à la Pêche, parc nationale de la Mauricie, Québec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 90-012; Wabenaki Lodge, La Mauricie National Park, Lac à la Pêche, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 90-012.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Wabenaki Lodge should be respected.

Its good aesthetic and functional design, and very good craftsmanship and materials, as for example: the asymmetrical plan that consists of two main sections forming a ‘T’ and includes a basement and two habitable storeys; the hip roof with upturned eaves, six overhanging hipped dormers, and a brick chimney; the verandah attached to the northeastern façade of the rear section of the building which provides access to the main door; the use of contrasting materials, including the field stone for the foundations, the logs for the main structure with dovetail joints, and the shingles for the upper storey; the interior exposed hewn beams on the ground floor, the quarry stone fireplace decorated with a band course forming the mantelpiece, and a surbased arch in the common room.

The manner in which Wabenaki Lodge reinforces the present character of its natural park like setting and is a familiar building in the area, as evidenced by: its overall massing, design and materials, which harmonize with its natural park and lake
surroundings; its familiarity within the area due to its location at La Mauricie National Park of Canada.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The year in which the Wabenaki Lodge was built remains to be determined precisely, but some indicators suggest that it was between 1886 and 1914. Oral tradition attributes its construction to the Gendron and Garceau families of Saint-Élie. The lodge originally served as the kitchen and the members’ dining room. It remained the property of the Laurentian Club until 1952, and was then owned by the Wabenaki Fish and Game Club until it was expropriated by the Quebec government in 1972. In 1977, the expropriated land and buildings became the property of the federal government, when La Mauricie National Park was created. Parks Canada is currently responsible for the building. See FHBRO Building Report 90-12.

Reasons for Designation

Wabenaki Lodge was designated Recognized for its charming setting and the quality of its workmanship and materials. It is also associated with the history of recreational fishing and hunting which, along with logging, have been the cornerstone of the economic development of the Trois-Rivières region for nearly 90 years.
Wabenaki Lodge is a recreational building which is in keeping with the aesthetic vision of Edward Maxwell, a renowned architect of the early 1900s. Like the logging camps and a number of buildings of private hunting and fishing clubs, the lodge was built of logs, a local material which harmonized with the site.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage value of Wabenaki Lodge resides in its integration with the site, the composition in contrasting materials of its main block and the unusual type of log joints used.

The asymmetrical plan of the lodge consists of two main sections forming a “T” and includes a basement and two habitable storeys. The hipped roof with upturned eaves has six overhanging hip dormers and a brick chimney. A verandah is attached to the northeastern facade of the rear section of the building and provides access to the main door. The form and appearance of the lodge have changed little since it was originally built and their characteristics will have to be respected during any future work.

The use of contrasting materials, i.e. field stone for the foundations, logs for the main

block and shingles for the upper storey, is characteristic of the work of Edward Maxwell (or one of his disciples) and this combination will have to be carefully preserved. For the log construction, dovetail joints were used in the corners rather than saddle notched corners, which is unusual. The logs, moreover, are in very good condition because of good ground clearance.

There have been several changes to the roof: the original shingles were replaced by sheet metal and then by a green, galvanized steel standing seam roof. However, the shape of the roof has not changed. When the roof is redone, it would be recommended to use wooden shingles again, which harmonize better with the original exterior cladding.

The interior, the plan of which has changed since 1973, is distinguished mainly by its exposed hewn beams on the ground floor - another Maxwell characteristic - and by its quarry stone fireplace decorated with a band course forming the mantlepiece and a surbased arch in the common room. These two elements must be preserved since they are the main survivors of the original rustic interior architecture. There is another striking feature of the initial plan: it was the dining room and not the verandah that overlooked the lake, which seems to confirm that these clubs were places of action rather than contemplative retreats. The room has since been subdivided and is now used as a bedroom and common room. This change reflects the current use of the building. However, it would be desirable to restore the common room’s view of the lake, which is currently obstructed by a enclosed bedroom at the eastern end of the common room.

Although the disappearance of several buildings detracts from the immediate area surrounding Wabenaki Lodge, the current natural setting should be preserved. Any outside work will have to respect the existing environment and appearance of the building as well as maintaining the views of the lake.