Mansion on the move

pbest@globeandmail.com

Toronto homeowners take heart. Word comes to us from the rarefied region of the Bridle Path that prestige mansions are selling again. Case in point: Russian-born billionaire Alex Shnaider's Old Colony Road grand residence reportedly just sold for $8.6-million. We hear that the globe-trotting Mr. Shnaider has built a new home elsewhere in the Bridle Path for himself and his family, so he's not leaving town. Mr. Shnaider, of course, is chairman of Talon International (he also has steel, sports and shipping interests), the company behind the $500-million, 57-floor Trump International Hotel & Tower being built in the downtown financial district.

LIFE OF THE PARTY

Last week we told you about Michael Cooper's post-presidential conversation party at his home in the Annex area of Toronto. We speak here of the public speaking event last Friday afternoon headlined by two former U.S. presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Mr. Cooper is CEO of Dundee REIT and a friend of Mr. Clinton. The soirée began about 5:30 p.m. or so, and outside on Admiral Road, there was an enterprising kid with a lemonade stand. Too much to resist for an old photo-op hand like Mr. Clinton, it seems. He exited his limo and immediately wandered over to sample the wares. Soon he was surrounded by kids and their yummy mummies quaffing lemonade, chatting and snapping cellphone pics. Vintage Clinton.

FICKLE FANS

New York's investment community wasn't shy about asking executives from Rogers Communications Inc. if they were going to join the pursuit for the Montreal Canadiens. Rob Bruce, head of wireless at Rogers, had just finished his presentation to attendees of a Barclays Capital conference one day last week when one of the first questions from the audience honed in on the company's hockey plans. The cable and wireless giant already owns the Toronto Blue Jays and the baseball team's home venue, the Rogers Centre. Would it like a piece of the Habs? "We're quite happy with the mix of sports in our franchise," Mr. Bruce replied. "But there are definitely people in our office who would love to buy the Canadiens because they are so sick of watching the Toronto Maple Leafs lose."