Up the Gatineau! Article
This article was first published in Up the Gatineau! Volume 11.
Footnote To History
Tea Room
By arrangement with the National Capital Commission, The Historical Society of the Gatineau operated a Tea Room and small Museum in Moorside for the benefit of the public for 17 years.
Although several members of the Society, past and present, were involved in its development, the prime movers of the Tea Room project were May Mulvihill and Jean Chapman. After much preparatory work it opened for business in the summer of 1964. For many years thereafter May and Jean directed the operation and established the special character of the Tea Room which was reflected in the operations under succeeding managers. Although the Society did not benefit financially from this project it did receive much favourable publicity because of its association with such a successful and well-received venture. The reputation of the place - its atmosphere and its ‘home-cooking' — spread far and wide and the business grew steadily from year to year. May and Jean had established some very firm foundations.
In 1981, the N.C.C. decided to make the enterprise a commercial one. Accordingly, after calling for tenders, in which the Society did not participate, a concessionaire was selected to operate the Tea Room.
The small Museum of the Society was dismantled and the numerous artifacts, many of which had been donated through the years, were moved to temporary quarters.
In the meantime, the N.C.C. has determined that any museum piece on display should be more closely related to William Lyon Mackenzie King and, recently, they have been in the process of restoring the landscaping to what it was when he planned and developed it.
