Many of our local hotel establishments were created by young, adventurous couples who were attracted by the forest industry or fell in love with the region itself. This month, we’ll take a long, lingering look at the history of Manoir Pinoteau.

The Manoir owes its existence to the luck of a young man named Lucien Pinoteau. In the early 1920s, during a card party (playing “barbotte”) in Montreal, he won the pot when seasoned players had bet large amounts.

In one fell swoop, Lucien Pinoteau became a rich man. As you can imagine, the losers were not particularly happy with the outcome. Lucien’s friends suggested that he get out of town for a while, and that’s how he discovered the Mont-Tremblant area.

At the time, Gray Rocks was experiencing great success as an outfitter. Lucien decided, therefore, to use his wins to create an outfitter operation on the shore of Lac Tremblant.

He redefined the concept and built a luxurious establishment with comfortable rooms, and he offered refined food, thus attracting a more demanding clientele. He named his place the Manoir Pinoteau.

One of its attractions was the isolation of the place and the anonymity of its customers. For ten years or so, the Manoir Pinoteau functioned under the principle that, “What happens at Manoir Pinoteau, stays at Manoir Pinoteau”.

In the winter of ’39-’40, Joe Ryan opened Station Mont Tremblant. The region was from then on considered to be a four-season destination and, as a result, Manoir Pinoteau gathered momentum. Gradually, the outfitter turned towards a broader tourist audience and more sophisticated customers seeking outdoor activities.

It provided a long list of possible activities: access to Lac Tremblant for swimming and fishing, tennis, forest hiking and, of course, proximity to Mont Tremblant.

Arrival of the Gratons

In 1942, Gilles Graton, great-nephew of Lucien Pinoteau, started looking for work and showed up at his great-uncle’s door. Just like Lucien in his early days, Gilles knew nothing about the hotel industry, but Lucien gave him a chance. A hard worker and motivated, Gilles moved up through the ranks quickly under Lucien’s direction.

While very different from his great-uncle, Gilles rapidly became an asset to the smooth running of the Manoir. Then in 1949, Gilles met his future wife, Andrée Compot, and that meeting caused a significant change of direction in the destiny of Manoir Pinoteau.

When Gilles and Andrée got married, they lived in the Compot Guest House, which is now the Auberge Sauvignon. The place belonged at the time to Andrée’s parents, Léon and Jeanne Compot.

The young couple’s first children, Jacques and Robert, were born there in 1950 and 1951 respectively. The young Graton couple then took the Manoir Pinoteau under its wing, to see to the smooth running of the place.

The clientele was loyal and the restaurant had an excellent reputation. The man in charge of maintenance, in whom Gilles had great confidence, was Roméo Richer, who worked there all his life.

Both local and tourist customers were attracted by pianist Gerry Souderman and barman René Moreau. Between the two of them, they kept the place full. The Manoir was an unqualified success and at the end of the ‘50s, Lucien suggested to his great-nephew that the latter become its new owner.

The little family settled in the Manoir to grow, becoming complete in 1961 and 1962 with the births of Thomas and then Pierre, respectively. Gilles established its ski school, led by qualified, experienced directors, including Bob Crook, Tommy Campeau, Mike Murphy, Guy Baervoets, Conrad Guay and finally, his son “Jacquot” Graton.

Four sons, four destinies

The Gratons became friends of my family. We had access to the Manoir’s “playground” and everything it had to offer. As a result, I saw the boys grow up.

Jacquot, who loved animals, walked around with three raccoons trailing him like a parade, outside and inside the hotel. He became a well-known coach with the Club de ski Mont-Tremblant and an adventurer with a love of wildlife.

Robert, very gifted in alpine skiing, went as far as the Quebec ski team, then got into administration to help Gilles at the Manoir Pinoteau.

Thomas, the artist of the family, had a career as an actor before becoming an artists’ representative.

Pierre, a talented athlete with a charming personality, became a local contractor.

In 1987, Gilles sold the Manoir Pinoteau to the group Claude et Éric Lefebvre. Still enamoured of his adoptive region, Gilles took full advantage of it. I have only good memories of Gilles and Andrée, and their sons remind me of all that was good and remarkable about them.