1929
In 1929, Harold Saddlemire, a Swiss-American businessman from Maine, USA, acquired the land with the aim of preserving it as a private wilderness retreat, inspired by a château in the Swiss Alps. The retreat was thus named “Lucerne in Québec”. Access to the retreat was granted to members of the Seigniory Club, an exclusive members-only club founded by Mr Saddlemire. The club grew to 1350 members despite strict selection and high membership fees. The club included, among other notable politicians, Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson (1963-1968), as well as foreign dignitaries such as Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco. From the world of business, Presidents of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the National Bank of Canada, the Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank of Canada were all Seigniory Club Directors. The word seigniory is derived from the old French term referring to the land-granting system in New France, “seigneurie”.