Embassy of Algeria in Ottawa
Encyclopedia
The Algerian Embassy in Canada is the embassy of Algeria
in Ottawa
, Canada
. It is located in the Fleck/Paterson House in the Sandy Hill
neighbourhood of Ottawa. It is located at 500 Wilbrod and looks out on the Rideau River
.
Norman Paterson who lived in it until his death in 1983. After Paterson's death the house was bought by developers who hoped to turn it into a retirement home
these efforts fell through, however, and the house was left abandoned for a number of years. It fell victim to vandalism and water damage before being bought by local developer Robert Van Eyk in 1989 for some $1.3 million with the plan to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast
. The building was zoned
only for residential purposes and the city blocked this plan. A few months later, in 1992 the building was sold to Maharishi Heaven on Earth Development Corp.
for just over a million dollars. They hoped to turn the structure into a meditation
centre and headquarters of the Natural Law Party of Canada
. Extensive renovations, reportedly costing almost two million dollars, were undertaken and the building was fully restored. In 2002 the Maharishi Corp. decided to build its own structure in Ottawa and sold the building for $2.95 million to Algeria
. This was one of the highest prices ever paid for a house in Ottawa, and the highest price ever paid for a heritage home in the city. The Algerians maintain a consular office at the embassy's old home at 435 Daly. Algeria also has a consulate in Montreal.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located in the Fleck/Paterson House in the Sandy Hill
Sandy Hill
Sandy Hill is a bilingual neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario located just east of downtown. The neighbourhood is bordered on the west by the Rideau Canal and on the east by the Rideau River. To the north it stretches to Rideau Street and the Byward Market area while to the south it is bordered by...
neighbourhood of Ottawa. It is located at 500 Wilbrod and looks out on the Rideau River
Rideau River
thumb|Rapids on the Rideau River opposite [[Carleton University]].The Rideau River is a Southern Ontario river which flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is 146 km...
.
History
The house was built in between 1901 and 1903 by Ottawa lumber baron J.R. Booth who built it for his daughter Gertrude and her husband Andrew Fleck. It was designed by John W.H. Watts, who also did Booth House. Gertrude Fleck lived there until her death in 1940 when it was purchased by SenatorCanadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
Norman Paterson who lived in it until his death in 1983. After Paterson's death the house was bought by developers who hoped to turn it into a retirement home
Retirement home
A retirement home is a multi-residence housing facility intended for senior citizens. Typically each person or couple in the home has an apartment-style room or suite of rooms. Additional facilities are provided within the building, including facilities for meals, gathering, recreation, and some...
these efforts fell through, however, and the house was left abandoned for a number of years. It fell victim to vandalism and water damage before being bought by local developer Robert Van Eyk in 1989 for some $1.3 million with the plan to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
. The building was zoned
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
only for residential purposes and the city blocked this plan. A few months later, in 1992 the building was sold to Maharishi Heaven on Earth Development Corp.
Maharishi Heaven on Earth Development
Maharishi Heaven on Earth Development Corp. is a for-profit real estate developer associated with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his Transcendental Meditation movement...
for just over a million dollars. They hoped to turn the structure into a meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
centre and headquarters of the Natural Law Party of Canada
Natural Law Party of Canada
The Natural Law Party of Canada was the Canadian branch of the international Natural Law Party founded in 1992 by a group of educators, business leaders, and lawyers who practiced Transcendental Meditation....
. Extensive renovations, reportedly costing almost two million dollars, were undertaken and the building was fully restored. In 2002 the Maharishi Corp. decided to build its own structure in Ottawa and sold the building for $2.95 million to Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. This was one of the highest prices ever paid for a house in Ottawa, and the highest price ever paid for a heritage home in the city. The Algerians maintain a consular office at the embassy's old home at 435 Daly. Algeria also has a consulate in Montreal.