Harrington Lake
Encyclopedia : H : HA : HAR : Harrington Lake
The Harrington Lake estate is both the name of the official country retreat of the Prime Minister of Canada and of the land which surrounds it. It is located in Quebec a few kilometres north of Ottawa, the capital of Canada, in an area known as Gatineau Park, amidst the Gatineau Hills.
The lake itself and the area around it are also referred to as Lac Mousseau. The name "Harrington" is thought to be a misspelling of "Hetherington", the name of a family which settled in this area. The French name "Mousseau" comes from another early settler to the area, Louis Mousseau.
History
The lake and the property had been acquired by the federal government in the 1950s in order to build up preserves of natural areas around the Capital. They became an official residence in 1959 when supporters of prime minister John Diefenbaker suggested that he needed a quiet place to go fishing, not too far from Ottawa. In 1959, Harrington Lake became an official country residence for the prime minister.The estate is not open to the public, but the Mackenzie King Estate, the retreat of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King at Kingsmere, offers a bucolic tourist attraction filled with echos of Canada's past a few kilometers south in Gatineau Park. Meech Lake, where the Meech Lake Accord was negotiated in 1987, is also nearby.
Other Canadian official residences
- Rideau Hall (1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa) - official residence of the Governor General and of the Queen when she is in Canada
- La Citadelle (Quebec City) - second official residence of the Governor General, and of the Queen, in Quebec City
- 24 Sussex Drive (Ottawa) - official residence of the Prime Minister
- Stornoway (residence) - official residence of the Leader of the Opposition
- The Farm (Gatineau Park) - official residence of the Speaker of the House of Commons
- 7 Rideau Gate (Ottawa) - official guest house of the Canadian government
Analogous facilities
- Chequers, country residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Camp David, country residence of the President of the United States
External link
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