The visionary who turned Old Chelsea into a new tourist destination

Article content

“I like to say that I do economic convergence.”

Article content

Apart from her multi-phase plan for Old Chelsea, Teixeira’s group expanded this spring, when it began operating the historic Maison O’Brien hotel, the National Capital Commission-owned property overlooking Meech Lake.

Article content

Maison O’Brien at 650 Chem. du Lac-Meech. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

Article content

The 11-room boutique hotel to her portfolio was “a good deal,” Teixeira says. “The place itself was in good shape. We just had to do a lot of painting, wallpaper, refurbishing, stuff like that. We have a great collaboration with the NCC, which is really good and appreciated.”

Article content

A guest room at Maison O’Brien, a just-opened boutique hotel in Chelsea that overlooks Meech Lake. Photo by Square Old Chelsea

Article content

Maison O’Brien “reflects the same philosophy that guides all of my projects: creating places that are meaningful, where people connect and create memories.”

Article content

Article content

Teixeira, 56, was born in Portugal. She came to Canada when she was two-and-a-half, her family settling in Gatineau’s Hull sector when it was still its own city.

Article content

“All the Portuguese were living in downtown Hull,” Teixeira says. “It was where people went when you were an immigrant.”

Article content

She studied business administration at Université du Québec en Outaouais and later managed Kolegram, an award-winning marketing and communications company, in the early 2000s.

Article content

Article content

“I always loved my job,” Teixeira says. “But what I found is that I was always in the position of working for others. You have clients, you have to respond to the clients’ expectations, clients’ needs. And I really wanted to do it for myself.”

Article content

Then Teixeira and her then-husband bought the Chelsea Pub. “When we first bought the pub, I said, ‘Oh, OK, here’s an opportunity. Maybe I can do something with that and take my marketing knowledge and experience and apply it here.'”

Article content

Later, the couple acquired the Gainsbourg, a Hull sector brasserie. They also launched Gatineau’s Festibière, the long-standing beer festival.

Article content

In 2017, when Square Old Chelsea was still in its early stages, Teixeira needed a new business partner. She turned to Martin Paquette, the founder and CEO of Groupe Nordik, which includes Nordik Spa Village Chelsea. Paquette opened his spa in 2005, less than a kilometre east of the Chelsea Pub.

Article content

Paquette is a silent partner who leaves Teixeira with “the latitude to put a clear vision forward,” she says.

Article content

“Every partnership involves a leap of faith,” Teixeira says. “There were many uncertainties. And building something meaningful requires trust, resilience and a willingness to face challenges together. Looking back, it was certainly a risk, one that allowed us to accelerate the growth of the project.”

Article content

Article content

Given the longstanding rural character of Chelsea, Teixeira’s plans met with some early opposition.

Article content

“I did do a lot of consultations,” Teixeira recalls. “The ones that were not happy, they let us know … The way I analyze it is that there was a lot of nostalgia.

Article content

“Yes, I am developing, but I think that what I have developed is going to stay there a long time,” Teixeira says. “It’s actually the heritage of tomorrow.”

Article content

Nolan, Chelsea’s mayor, says Teixeira has respected Chelsea’s past. “Everything she’s been doing has been done with taste … she’s keeping the rural character of Chelsea intact.”

Article content

The one challenge that both Teixeira and La Cigale’s Kaarsberg mention is the lack of sufficient parking to accommodate Chelsea’s visitors and its residents.

Article content

“We’re all struggling with the parking, but I guess it’s a sign that things are going well,” Kaarsberg says.

Article content

People who pine for the old days should also recall that businesses had it that much harder, Teixeira suggests.

Article content

“What I remember is that during the winter time, it used to be called ‘Ghost Town,'” she says. “A lot of businesses, they wouldn’t survive.”