In 1883, the Scottish Canadian financier, George Stephen, built a breathtaking mansion in Montreal’s “Golden Square Mile.” He commissioned accomplished European craftsmen to create a luxurious property styled after an Italian palace. To this day, each room exudes a warm grandeur from its exotic wood-paneled ceilings and walls. A staircase of perfect proportion joins the upper and lower floors. This passageway is illuminated from above by a stained glass skylight, featuring the signs of the Zodiac. Near it, 300 year-old Austrian stained glass windows depict a “discourse on love” taken from Shakespeare’s works. Generous mirrors in each room reflect back these qualities: beauty, determination, love, craftsmanship, solidity, and light, so that they permeate the entire building. Lord Stephen’s architectural showpiece helped him attract the support of Canadian industrialists to achieve the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and found Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital. In a pre-advertising age, the house not only symbolized the will of its owner, it celebrated the people who played a key role in building Canada. By the turn of the century, the inhabitants of Montreal’s “Golden Square Mile” controlled 70% of Canada’s wealth.

During the 1920s, the Stephen home was sold and converted into a private club. Named “Mount Stephen Club” after its visionary proprietor, it seemed destined to carry on his desire to bring together people at the top of their professions, in a space in which they could comfortably mix business and pleasure. When the property caught the eye of the TIDAN Hotel Group in 2006, Vice President of Operations for Business and Development, Silvio Sicoli’s personal passion for restoration and taking on “challenging properties,” was keenly sparked. To maintain such splendid historical caché while gracefully adapting it for the 21st century was the challenge. If this listed Canadian Heritage Building was, “a sleeping beauty waiting for a kiss,” then Sicoli was its fairytale prince. In addition to a multi-million dollar course of maintenance for the exterior of the mansion, TIDAN and Sicoli’s recent renovations have shown considerable ambition. A Victorian Terrace and a Rooftop Terrace now welcome members as well as visitors to the club on weekends. A generous banquet hall was incorporated, as have been beautiful gardens. The Mount Stephen Club now operates year round due to extensive renovations to the heating system, and it offers kosher cuisine. Upcoming renovations include private wine cellars, and a game room. In the spirit of Lord Stephen, no expense has been, nor will be spared.

1440 Drummond Street

Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3B 1K1

(514) 849-7338

www.clubmountstephen.com

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