Richardson family re-acquires Fairmont Hotel

The company owned and operated by the Richardson family now owns the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Winnipeg.

Or, rather, James Richardson & Sons, Limited (JRSL) is back to being the hotel's owner after a 24-year break.

According to a release sent out by the company, an acquisition went through on Thursday that brought ownership of the hotel back under the Richardson family umbrella of companies. The release notes a subsidiary of JRSL originally owned the Fairmont until it was sold in 2000.

Winnipeggers and travellers alike may not notice the change in ownership; The company plans on keeping the Fairmont brand and all employees are being offered continued employment, according to the release.

Built between 1968 and 1970, the 21-storey hotel, adjacent to Portage and Main, is a fixture of Winnipeg's downtown and was designed by Smith Carter Searle, according to the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation.

“The heart of this city is an essential part of its identity, vitality and its reputation, and we are making this investment with the utmost confidence in the future of our downtown," said JSRL CEO Hartley Richardson in the release.

James Richardson & Sons, Limited is a privately-owned, family-operated corporation headquartered in Winnipeg. The Richardson Foundation is the corporation's philanthropic arm, with other subsidiaries involved in transportation, energy, and agriculture, among other industries.

The release notes other projects JRSL and the Richardson Foundation have been involved in, including the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada and the redevelopment of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School.