Rawdon Inn

People came to Rawdon Inn to party, get away from the city, or relax after a day's skiing... 

Source: Postcard by La Photo Modèle

The Rawdon Inn was an attraction and a focal point for tourists.

Source: Postcard by La Photo Modèle

Arrival of skiers at the Rawdon Inn on Queen Street.

Source: Société d'histoire de Rawdon

A few steps away from the Rawdon Inn, as you walk back towards the Town Hall, you’ll see an attractive two-storey brick building, once known as Tinkler's hardware store, a business that served the local community for many years. 

The Tinkler hardware store appears at the top left of the picture.

Source: Société d'histoire de Rawdon

Tinkler's Hardware Store was renowned for its personal service and proximity to the residents of Rawdon. Like many everyday places, the hardware store served as a meeting point for residents, who combined business with pleasure by caring for their community while shopping. An efficient businessman, Tinkler is said to have set up the stable behind his building, which overlooked Albert Street, to house the horses of the Rawdon Inn’s VIP guests. 

After the store closed in 1975, various businesses occupied the premises, including Vitrerie Rawdon. Since 2019, the building houses the English Community Organization of Lanaudière (ECOL). Founded in 2012, ECOL is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the English-speaking community in the Lanaudière region. The organization provides a variety of services, including health promotion activities and workshops for seniors, programs for youth training, and referrals and accompaniment programmes to facilitate access to health and social services in English.

People came to Rawdon Inn to party, get away from the city, or relax after a day's skiing... The building you're standing in front of was once the hub of Rawdon’s resort life! In keeping with the vision of brothers Henri and Jean Pontbriand, the Rawdon Inn was a phenomenal tourist attraction.

In the spring of 1936, work began on the site of the Balmoral Hotel, which had just been destroyed by fire. Fortunately, the fire was confined to the hotel and did not affect the neighbouring residences. Some say it was thanks to the fire department's new petrol pump, which had been much criticized by taxpayers! Jean Pontbriand designed his Rawdon Inn as the most beautiful hotel in the entire region! With his brother Henri, a tenor singer and architect-at-heart, they designed the rotunda, which adds a little “je-ne-sais-quoi” to the building.

Pauline Rolland-Pontbriand, Jean's wife, took cooking classes to design the menu for the dining room, which they called the 'Jardin du Boire et du Manger'. A country park was set up on the hotel grounds, with tables protected from the sun by large, colourful parasols.

In the difficult economic climate of the 1930s, Jean Pontbriand chose to use workers rather than heavy machinery, creating many jobs for men in Rawdon and the surrounding area. The boards from the nearby forest used to build the hotel were produced in Rawdon’s sawmills.

In the 1940s, 50s and 60s, the Rawdon Inn was immensely popular with tourists! Open year-round, the Rawdon Inn was particularly popular in winter. There are many memories of winter carnivals on Queen Street, with horse-drawn carriages stopping in front of the hotel. In the 1970s, the basement discotheque was very popular with city dwellers who came to Rawdon to party! Since the 1980s, the Rawdon Inn has been transformed into a billiard room, inn and tavern.