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Harrington Lake




The lake itself and the area around it are also referred to as ''Lac Mousseau''. The name "Harrington" is thought to be a misspelling of "Hetherington", the name of a family which settled in this area. The French name "Mousseau" comes from another early settler to the area, Louis Mousseau.


HISTORY

The lake and the property had been acquired by the federal government in the 1950s in order to build up preserves of natural areas around the Capital. They became an official residence in 1959 when supporters of prime minister John Diefenbaker suggested that he needed a quiet place to go fishing, not too far from Ottawa. In 1959, Harrington Lake became an official country residence for the prime minister.

The estate is not open to the public, but the Mackenzie King Estate, the retreat of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King at Kingsmere , offers a bucolic tourist attraction filled with echos of Canada's past a few kilometers south in Gatineau Park. Meech Lake , where the Meech Lake Accord was negotiated in 1987 , is also nearby.


Other Canadian official residences



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