68 The Bridle Path – Robert Campeau’s $30 Million, 10 Bedroom Mansion with Bomb Shelter

This extravagant mansion is located at 68 The Bridle Path in Toronto. It was built upon two properties that were combined into one creating nearly 30,000 square feet of land. The mansion was constructed in 1985 for real estate developer and financier, Robert Campeau.

During the 1980s, Campeau undertook several leveraged buyouts of businesses including shopping malls. Due to a downturn in retail sales, the debts taken on through several of these aquisitions were unable to be met. As a result, over 250 profitable department stores were bankrupted. (1)

Mr, Campeau was forced to sell this house in 1990 although the house was in his wife’s name which protected it from creditors.

Various deals to purchase the property fell through over the next six years. The property was purchased by Harold and Sara Springer in 2002. The Springers spent the next several years restoring the property. They enlisted the help of architect Gordon Ridgely, interior designer Brian Gluckstein, and landscape architect Ronald Holbrook, to restore the property. 

The property has been said to have once been the most expensive home in Canada and the most expensive in Toronto.

The home was blessed by Toronto archbishop Cardinal Gerald Emmett Carter. Some of the guests of the home have included Pierre Trudeau and Jane Fonda. The house has been used for movie production including Beau Bridges’ ‘Kissinger and Nixon’, ‘That Old Feeling’ starring Bette Midler, and ‘It Takes Two’ with the Olsen twins, Kirstie Alley and Steve Guttenberg. 

Entry to the property is through a set of wrought-iron gates and down a circular driveway with a water fountain in the center of it.

The mansion contains 10 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms (including his and hers). There’s a large indoor pool with a retractable floor that converts into a ballroom, library, tennis court, gourmet kitchen, seven wood burning fireplaces, recording studio, vault room and a wine cellar. There’s also an elevator to get to each of the four floors. It’s also been reported that the tap faucets are solid gold. The garage will hold 40 cars.

The grand living room contains tall doors leading out to the terrace. The placement of clocks and paintings and traditional hand-sculpted carvings in the walls and ceilings, were all part of the effort to design the house as a 17th century France chateau. The Springers looked across the globe for 17th century art to add to the home.

The mansion has seen some well known guests including Jane Fonda and the former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Don’t worry about parking as you can fit well over 40 vehicles on the grounds.

The gated property has also been featured in several motion pictures including “It Takes Two”. After the couple’s children grew up and left home, the house was put up on the market in 2015. It was finally purchased in 2020 by a company named Nascond but no updates have taken place on the property.

As of late July 2022 demolition equipment has been brought to the site. This is the only reason I’m disclosing the address. Note: By providing specific details such as notable guests, it’s almost impossible not to reveal the address anyways.

Basement

In one corner of the basement you’ll find a bar constructed with oak. Several hallways will take through a collection of doorways. Behind one door is a wine cellar made up of tubes embedded into cement where the wine bottles would be inserted. One of the allocations is for a “1984 Chardonnay.”

Some rooms are used for storage. A large utility room contains the pool plumbing system and large hydro boxes. Another room contains a large safe inside of it with an alarm panel on the outside of the room.

Tucked away in the basement is a recording studio with a red light outside the door. Inside the studio are sound proofing tiles lining the walls. When you were recording music, you’d turn on the red light so people wouldn’t interrupt you. This studio was used by Robert Campeau’s son for recording music. A listing for the house mentions it has a theater, but I couldn’t find one during my explore.

A large walk-in freezer would most certainly have held steaks and burgers for those large social gatherings.

Bomb Shelter

Down in the basement there’s a bomb shelter with a living room, dormitory and its own power generator. 

Main Floor

The kitchen features two sinks, marble countertops, two ovens, microwave and a large stove. A room in back of the kitchen contains a third sink, dish washer and elevator.

At the main entrance are the his and hers washrooms just off to the left. Through the limestone front foyer is a large room with a fireplace and the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. This room looks more like a waiting room as it really has to purpose but to make a decision as to which doorway to take. Should you continue further to the rear of the house, you’ll come to the grand living room with pink walls. There are several sets of doors here that will take you to the garden in the back of the property.

Taking a left from the waiting area will take you to a small corridor. Here you’ll find the library with a fireplace and an elegantly carved mantle. At the end of the corridor is the 50 foot swimming pool. The hallway outside of the pool is painted to look like a French marketplace. In the pool room are a set of spiral stairs that will take you up to the master bedroom. Three sets of doors exit into the back yard.

Upper Level

The master bedroom has its own bathroom with bidet. There’s a large circular stained glass window in the bathroom. The bedroom features a fireplace as well as an adjoining room which looks like it could be for office space. Of course there’s a walk in closet with ceiling to floor mirrors. The square footage of the master bedroom is comparable to that of an apartment rental.

August 6, 2022 Demolition

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Source:
1) https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/17/opinion/robert-campeau-s-special-genius.html