MONTREAL Stephen Bronfman and his wife Claudine are determined that their three young children will grow up proud to be Jewish and comfortable making their lives in Montreal. She gave birth to two little future demons, Sara and Clare Bronfman. I've learned a lot and I think the people around me have fun because we're doing different stuff all the time. In this week's episode, hear how Brantley launched his art career with used canvases from a local art institute, turned tragedy into triumph with his first major art show, and created an entire world that's led to major motion picture studios knocking on his door. Chris Cortazzo of Compass held the listing; Jonathan Nash and Stephen Resnick of Hilton & Hyland repped Bronfman and Hauptman. SNC Lavalin has decided on a corruption trial in relation to accusations of money laundering and bribes from 2001-2011 with Ghaddafi. The Foundation contributes to major capital campaigns, such as those for the McGill University Health Centre, the Centre hospitalier de lUniversit de Montral super-hospitals, as well as Centraide. He is the Co-Founder of Birthright Israel, a highly regarded program created as a gift from one generation to the next, providing an educational travel experience to Israel for young Jewish adults. It was a substantial financial loss.. Read more about cookies here. Film and TV producers have lured away a number of Whites younger employees. Gen J (originally Generation J) was launched last April with a one-time $1-million grant from the federation coming out of its assets, and not the annual campaign. Mr. Bronfman has spent much of his life as an active businessman. Corruption, bribes, payoffs, threats. He hopes the deal gets done, so that he can attend opening day with his 88-year-old father. Stephen was given the reins to his fathers legacy, and was a driving force behind Justin Trudeaus rise to power, through such organizations as Canada 2020. Bronfman denied any wrongdoing, and the controversy appears to have blown over. And Whites Toronto, we have never been this busy.. In 1924, Samuel founded the Distillers Corporation in Montreal. He also praises the new woman in his life. On campus, theres a Samuel Bronfman building, and annual fellowship awards presented by Stephen Bronfman and his wife Claudine. White is hosting a party on the roof of the Bell Lightbox, a film complex in Toronto, and Bronfman is rehearsing. All rights reserved. Veteran film industry mogul Paul Bronfman has carved his own path, first in rock music, then in a Vancouver film studio, and now in the movie equipment business. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. So, how much is Charles Bronfman worth at the age of 91 years old? The early passion for the game still burns today, he says. Of course, Trudeau publicly denies that his office ever discussed the SNC Lavalin case with Stephen Bronfman, although SNC Lavalin happened to make. Often times that $5,000 or $10,000 can mean a lot more than, say, $100,000 to an opera, which I don't do. KM - The Bronfman name is very well known across Canada. Claridge has been involved with some well-known brands including Cirque du Soleil, Dick Clark Productions, gluten-free food maker Glutino and SunOpta, the organic food company. He returned to Montreal where he worked in the marketing department of the Montreal Expos, then owned by his late father. Outdoor amenities are plentiful and include a full-size sports court, grassy lawns, a putting green, mature olive and magnolia trees, formal gardens, and a stone fountain built into the courtyard entrance. In 2007, Andrew Hauptman through Andell paid $35 million for the Chicago Fire professional soccer club, which he subsequently built into a $400 million franchise. He and his wife have given away millions of dollars to educational, cultural, environmental and Jewish groups through the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation. I am involved with, not just environmental issues, but in local schools. La Caisse de Dpt et Placement du Qubec, which is one of Canadas biggest institutional fund managers and has some $215 billion in assets, said it was teaming up with Claridge as the kind of local partner it is looking for as it establishes a presence in high-growth countries.. He's an anglophone married to a francophone raising four children in both languages. They have three children, aged three, two and 10 months, and they think they can provide a role model for the modern Jewish couple from different backgrounds but desirous of living a traditional Jewish lifestyle. We are putting in place the necessary infrastructure and capital to develop investment opportunities in technology companies with high growth potential that have succeeded in reaching the marketing stage, said Claridge CEO Pierre Boivin. SB - I lived all but four years here, aside from university in the States. If your name is Bronfman, its very difficult not to do well, says competitor Peter Lukas, founder and owner of Showline Studios in Toronto, presently home to the TV show Big Brother. They eventually built the TD Centre in Toronto, owned the Montreal Expos, the Bank of Montreal, funded Liberal causes in Canada and Israel. The partnership with La Caisse fits perfectly in our common strategic and patient investment philosophy.. It seems to me, either way-it is a win, win for the Bronfmans, and the Political puppets they paid off to take control of Libya from Ghaddafi. The bedroom opens to a covered lanai, equipped with its own fireplace, that overlooks the backyard swimming pool and the ocean beyond. Bronfman attended the state dinner that President Barack Obama held for Trudeau at the White House. Its budget is drawn up each year often in partnership with government or non-profit organizations. There are people in Canada who are so wealthy that not only do they think they dont need to pay their fair share of taxes, theyre forcing us to spend a billion dollars to go after them just so theyll do the right thing and pay what they owe, Trudeau said. The politics and business news you need to stay up to date, delivered daily in a must-read newsletter. It seems at first a cruel irony that one of the linchpins of Canadas motion picture industry is a man who can hardly move at all. From the highway out front, a camera-monitored gate allows access to a long, downward sloping driveway that dead-ends at the U-shaped mansion. Bronfman family scion and liquor heiress Ellen Bronfman Hauptman is one of those; she and her husband, former Chicago Fire soccer club owner Andrew Hauptman, recently paid $21.5 million for a sprawling estate in prime Malibu. The family went on to run the Seagram Company, with brands like VO, Crown Royal and Chivas Regal. He speaks excitedly of his new girlfriend, workout routine, recent Atlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2, new hobby skydiving and, oh yeah, his companys great good fortune in supplying equipment to Canadas fast-growing film and television industry. With zero return from nine years. Stephen Bronfman contact details: Email address: s***@claridgeinc.com Phone number: (514) ***-**** Who is Stephen Bronfman? He wants a new team so that the next generation of youngsters and adult fans can make similar memories. In the backyard, a grassy lawn offers an in-ground trampoline, and below that a wooden staircase leads down the bluff to one of the best surf spots in all of Malibu. Why did you wait till 40? In 1999 the company, renamed Netstar, was sold to Canadian broadcaster CTV which, The Foundation contributes to major capital campaigns, such as those for the McGill University Health Centre, the Centre hospitalier de lUniversit de Montral super-hospitals, as well as Centraide. Most of the Bronfman family have left Montreal. This article was published more than 13 years ago. KM - Much of your family have moved down to the United States; millions of Canadians have done this. SB - Due diligence, due diligence, lot's of due diligence! Cousin Sara Bronfman of NXIVM had married Basit Igtet who fled to Switzerland. Well break down the latest business and consumer news and insights you need to know every Wednesday. The family owes its initial fame to Samuel Bronfman (18891971), who made a fortune in the alcoholic distilled beverage business during American prohibition through founding the Seagram Company, and who later became president of the Canadian Jewish Congress (193962). He blew his brains out in Montreal, Lukas says. Their association with Gen J, they say, is not just a case of lending their names. Stacey Bronfman the art collector, mother and ex-wife of billionaire Seagram heir Matthew Bronfman has sold her Hamptons home for $9.85 million.&nb He married Claudine Blondin Bronfman. Nico Williams, an MFA sculpture candidate at Concordia, and Leila Zelli, a masters candidate in visual and media arts at Universit de Qubec Montral (UQAM), are the 2021 recipients of the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Fellowship in Contemporary Art.. He and his partners have identified a downtown site for a new outdoor stadium. In a 2006 article, Forbes magazine put it this way: "If the Bronfmans are Canadian royalty, Stephen Bronfman is the prince you've never heard of.". Mr. Bronfman currently sits on the boards of trustees of Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York), the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (Montreal), and Historica Canada (Toronto). 2023 Financial Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Claridge had been investing in Israel since the 1980s and had a good run buying and selling stakes in Teva Pharmaceuticals and Osem. In She derived much of that energy from the young people whom she made it her purpose to serve.. After the couple split, Gold sold the house in 2015 for $18.5 million to Grant and Patty Sims, a philanthropic couple from Houston who made their fortune in the oil and gas sector, and purchased the property as a vacation home. Headquartered in Montreal, the company became the largest producer and distributor of distilled spirits in the world. Charles Bronfman established The Andrea M. Bronfman Prize for the Arts (The Andy) to honor his wifes life-long passion for and support of the arts, and to create a showcase for Israeli decorative artists. Gen J has also consulted North American experts on Jewish continuity on how best to approach the challenge. SNC-Lavalin corruption trial could prove more scandalous than Wilson-Raybould affair. They subsequentlysold their impressive Bel Air compound, which consisted of a main house designed by minimalist architect John Pawson and guesthouse designed by Paul R. Williams, in an $85 million deal to Japanese tycoon Hideki Tomita. One Paradise Papers document shows that as late as 2005, the borrower the Kolber Trust still owed Claridge Israel more than $7 million. It was discovered Stephen Bronfman employed SNC Lavalin CEOs wife Emma Griffen. Stephen Bronfman was the, The Foundation is a flow-through, meaning that it has no assets. Those rules came in after Bronfman held big fundraisers at the Westmount mansionthe most expensive house in Montreal. Tropicana Field took over a Black St. Pete community. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 2023 The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Claridge exited the Israeli scene in 2006, when it sold control of the conglomerate Koor Industries to the IDB group, then controlled by Nochi Dankner. He doesn't seek the spotlight, but it doesn't scare him either, said Karl Moore, a radio host and associate professor at Montreal's McGill University, who has known Bronfman for about 15 years. Matthew Bronfman divested his controlling stake in Israel Discount Bank last year after holding it a decade. Bronfman has said that he wasn't interested in business as a young man. I have environment, I have youth education, and I have some of the Montreal institutional stuff and I stay within my means as well. He'd seen his father come home from work everyday in a suit and tie and didn't think it was for him. He relies on personal assistants to feed him, dress him, blow his nose, drive him and fly him around in his private jet. Whites Vancouver is doing more business this year than Whites Toronto, Bronfman says. I was born and raised there. In May of 2000, she was awarded Doctorate of Philosophy, Honoris Causa, from Tel Aviv University. KARL MOORE - This is Karl Moore talking management for the Globe and Mail. Contact Graham Brink at gbrink@tampabay.com. Trudeau said the government had committed nearly 1 billion Canadian dollars ($787 million) to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance, the Canadian Press reported. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Gov. Attendance averaged just under 15,000 a game, middle of the pack among the 12 National League teams. The same Leo Kolber that moved all the Elite wealth to Cayman Ilsand offshore accounts. Personal life In 1979, Bronfman married his first wife, Sherry Brewer, an African-American actress, in New Orleans. Seems illegal donations were taken from SNCLavalin. Andell invests Help us change the world. Lightning trade Vladislav Namestnikov to San Jose, Rays have familiar names in lineup today to face Orioles, Rays host Twins for spring baseball under Tropicana Field roof, Amazon partners with Rite Aid for package pickup nationwide. As the Liberal Party's chief fundraiser, Bronfman helped get Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau elected in 2015. Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. Other Bronfman relatives, most notably Matthew Bronfman, Stevens cousin, have investments in Israel, including a stake in the food retailer Supersol and the Israeli franchise of the Swedish furniture chain Ikea. Of course, Bronfmans in attendence. This is real, Bronfman told me late Thursday afternoon on TSN 690 Radio. Known to friends and colleagues as Andy, Mrs. Bronfman also served as Founder and Deputy Chairman of The Gift of New York, a non-profit initiative which provided admission to New York Citys cultural, arts, entertainment and sports venues, without charge, to the bereaved families of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As Chairman of The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, Mr. Bronfman oversees a family of charitable foundations in Israel, Canada and the United States. Haaretz.com, the online English edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, gives you breaking news, analyses and opinions about Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. The Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Foundation operates under Claridge. The fact that Stephen stayed and prospered has bolstered his credibility with the community, Moore said. We are smoking. Separated three years ago from his wife, Bronfman lives in a condo in Torontos trendy Yorkville district. At the Wednesday news conference, Bronfman looked tanned and fit, dressed in a navy blue jacket, light blue shirt and no tie. It allocates about $5-million annually to select projects related to the environment, culture, entrepreneurship, Jewish identity, Israel advocacy, with a focus on Quebec and Montreal. He feels there is momentum behind baseball returning to Montreal, whether it be the Rays deal or another one. 2023 Dirt.com, LLC. "Montreal is a city with four million people, but the Bronfmans don't get lost in the noise," Moore said. 6,616 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, Ellen DeGeneres Buys Another Grand Old Montecito Estate, Reclusive Texas Billionaire Paid $45 Million for Paul Allens Beverly Hills Estate, Refined Estate in the Hills Sells to Fayed Family Member, Socialite Jamie Tisch Sends Sun-Drenched Sunset Strip Midcentury Back to Market, YouTuber Cody Ko Puts Snazzy Venice Compound Up for Sale, Reclusive Texas Billionaire Paid $45 Million for Paul Allen's Beverly Hills Estate, Waterfront Estate Across the Pond Is Awash in Regal Victorian Luxury, Reconstructed Thornton Abell Modern in Santa Monica Canyon Seeks $10.5 Million. White, meanwhile, struggles with burnout, not of its thousands of light bulbs, but of staff, given the hectic pace. Oded Tal, an attorney who worked as a senior manager at Claridge for eight years, will manage the Israeli operations for the new venture. Looks like the Honeymoon is over! MONTREAL Stephen Bronfman and his wife Claudine are determined that their three young children will grow up proud to be Jewish and comfortable making Stephen Bronfman, 55, rarely speaks publicly about his family's early history and has largely steered clear of the recent controversies. Bronfman, who sits on four industry boards, says Vancouvers film industry is far ahead of Toronto. It came a bit later in life for you, that sense of rootedness of your own personal family. Workers were still shoveling snow and bolting in the seats as fans arrived, according to television news reports. Two prominent women enjoying time together included Christine Schwarzman, wife of American business magnate Stephen, and Rita Bronfman, wife of Charles from the Canadian Seagram dynasty. Get our stories by email. There was an undeniable force that seemed to emanate from Andy and make good things happen for many, many people, said Jeffrey Solomon, President of ACBP. Explore my Research, News Articles, and Digs. Was SNC Lavalin part of Sara and her husbands new plan for a liberated Libya? Or were they a liability to the Bronfmans? His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. So I think Montreal, I don't want to sound cocky, but I think Montreal needs me. Stephen joined his father Charles private equity firm Claridge in 1990. Each brings a very different perspective to the issue of revitalizing the Montreal Jewish community. The Bronfmans established a complicated ownership structure with family trusts, much like the Trudeaus. Follow us on Twitter: @globebusinessOpens in a new window. Bronfman's father did not approve of the marriage. Stephen Bronfman and Justin Trudeau are childhood friends. Pinewood is the single worst investment I have made in Comweb (Bronfmans holding company) in 28 years, he says. He landed at Claridge, the boutique investment firm started by his father a few years earlier. If you enjoyed the crazy camera angles in Suicide Squad, shot in Toronto, thank Whites technocranes. The family's trials and tribulations have kept them in the news. Mrs. Bronfman was on the Board of Directors of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Inc., New York; The Jewish Museum, New York. Stephen Bronfman was the Chair for Centraide. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. I am doing my part to be involved with our local community, but as well to support the infrastructure of Montreal. Rays owner Stuart Sternberg has praised Bronfman, and vice versa. For years we had an office in Montreal. Why did you choose to stay in Canada and in Montreal? He was gutted when his beloved Expos left for Washington, D.C. after the 2004 season. Its budget is drawn up each year often in partnership with government or non-profit organizations. So far, they seem to be on the same wavelength about where the deal goes from here. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Stephen Bronfmans Foundation has also partnered with Canada C3 Antartica. The same Leo Kolber that moved all the Elite wealth to Cayman Ilsand offshore accounts. Montreal. Dirt is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Their Montreal home sold for more than $3.3 million. I have a girlfriend. After graduating from Williams College in Massachusetts in 1986, he worked in the Expos' marketing department for a short time. Hello Stephen Bronfman and the Montreal Baseball Project. Canadian family is teaming up with fund manager to take stake in innovative companies. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Her father, Hyam, was, for many years, a leader of the United Joint Israel Appeal of Great Britain. Talking Management: Stephen Bronfman. Built in 2001, the Tuscan-style villa spans about 6,600 square feet of living space on a 1.2-acre blufftop lot thats notably long and narrow. Andrea Bronfman is survived by her husband, Charles; her son Jeremy Cohen and his wife Marci, and their children, Danielle, Scott, and Talia; her daughter Pippa Cohen; her son Tony Cohen and his wife Moira; her beloved stepchildren Stephen Bronfman and his wife Claudine, and their children Alexandra, Sam, Olivia, and Isabella; and Ellen Bronfman and her husband Andrew Hauptman, and their children Lila and Zack; and her sister Marcia (Kappy) Flanders. Over a memorable 24-hour period in 1992, he was honored by making the ceremonial first pitch at the World Series in Toronto, the first such contest ever to be played outside the United States. He's Montreal's point man in the unusual proposal to split the Tampa Bay Rays home games between the two cities. Stephen Bronfman and Justin Trudeau are childhood friends. It seems Stephen Bronfmans involvement with Justin Trudeau spelled nothing but trouble for the lad, although much of Trudeaus corruption was done all on his own. Through her leadership at ACBP and numerous other philanthropic endeavors, she was a shaping force in initiatives aimed at strengthening Jewish identity worldwide, with a focus on Jewish youth, the arts and education. Gila Martow is on the case, A group of survivors in Toronto contributed to the process of restoring a Torah scroll hidden during the Holocaust. Such an environment will offer higher returns, greatly benefiting our depositors, said Andreas Beroutsos, Caisses executive vice president of private equity and infrastructure. Stephen Bronfman did not speak with the Tampa Bay Times for this article, which is based on previous news reports and what he has said at recent public events, news conferences and on talk radio shows. We will not have a grip clamp or a sandbag crossing the Ontario-Quebec border.. Though the house appears rather squat from the outside, the interiors boast high ceilings and a properly airy beach vibe, with big windows and foldaway glass doors drinking in the A+ views. His late father Edward and late uncle Peters Edper Investments controlled $100-billion worth of assets at one point, including the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Blue Jays. Multiple sources have revealed to Page Six that the Atlantic Investment founder is now dating Stacey Bronfman, ex-wife of Seagram heir Matthew Bronfman I like sense of community, I like sense of family and I like roots and we have good roots here. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP), Rays top prospect Taj Bradley on mound to face Yankees, Rays face Braves with Shane McClanahan on the mound today. The following afternoon at the Governor Generals residence, he became a Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and later that evening was elevated to Companion of the Order of Canada, that countrys highest civilian honor. The Bronfman family has pulled Canadas Political Strings decade after decade since the 1920's. Stephen is the Executive For 22 years he was the Chairman and principal owner of the Montreal Expos, the first Major League Baseball club to exist outside of the United States, which was subsequently sold in 1991. We have enabled email notificationsyou will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Today I am talking to Stephen Bronfman, who is a CEO of Claridge Investments Inc. and from a very well-known family here in Canada. Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the Financial Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. Could it affect another? The 35s played an active role in alerting both the Canadian government and the public at large to the plight of Soviet Jewry. He also divorced his wife and, in 1975, Edgar married Rita Webb, the daughter of a barkeeper. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Among the pilot projects receiving funding are The Moot Court of Jewish Law at four Jewish high schools, which introduces Grade 10 students to Jewish law from a historic perspective and as it applies today; the Academy of the Segal Centre for Performing Arts to enable Grade 7 and 8 students from four high schools to enrol; and the creation of the West Island Jewish Family Learning Centre, where parents of pre-school children can get a grounding in Judaism. A bunch of gangsters ran the studio and equipment business in Montreal. Beautiful city, beautiful women, great restaurants, and ashit-ass place to make movies. And again, we have been so tied to the city through my dad, through my grandfather Sam and what he did with Seagram, and my dad bringing the Expo's to town and I, unfortunately, watching them leave town subsequently with great pain; it's not that we didn't try. Of course, Trudeau publicly denies that his office ever discussed the SNC Lavalin case with Stephen Bronfman, although SNC Lavalin happened to make illegal donations to Liberal Party. I guess it would be nice if other families, who were more new to wealth, would share that obligation. It's a bit more of a testament to him and I don't really know if that is giving back but it's a start! The Trudeau and Bronfman families have been friends for decades. When it comes to creeks, Sams the man. There is a legacy here, I am the last male Bronfman in the city; well there is my cousin Brian, but of direct descendant from Sam. Last year, he sold a majority interest in the club to billionaire Joe Mansueto, in a deal valued at $204 million. Andrea M. Bronfman inherited her love of Israel from her parents and her love of art from her mother. Under pressure from so-called cash-for-access fundraisers, the Liberals have started reporting details about all fundraisers. It is not simply a new fund to which those with innovative projects are invited to apply, but more importantly, an open-ended process intended to encourage a community-wide discussion on how to make being a Jewish Montrealer meaningful to those under 30. We are asking young people to recreate the Jewish community in their image, Gold said. They were pretty confident Trudeau would be the next Prime Minister well in advance of the election. "He's a business success in his own right," he said. Stephen attended Trudeaus wedding, and the Trudeaus have been Bronfmans guest at the, Charles Bronfmans money was instrumental in founding. Several years ago, Bronfman and his wife, Claudine Blondin, decided to bring it back into the family. For decades, the Bronfmans came to prominence within Canada as key fundraisers for the Liberal Party of Canada and filled cabinets with their, Gerald Butts, Trudeaus other lifelong friend was also a founder for Canada 2020, which is registered as a non-profit. Stephen Bronfman's father, Charles, was the Expos first owner, giving the son a close-up view of the team during the early years. In April, Clare Bronfman pleaded guilty for her role in a bizarre sex-trafficking conspiracy involving NXIVM. The family could make their product legally in Canada and then sell it to bootleggers trying to quench American's thirst for liquor during the prohibition era. WebClaridge is a private investment firm headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Federation president Marc Gold describes Gen J as an investment in the future of the Montreal Jewish community. You know, I found everything happens in due course, right? White now employs 330 full- and part-time staff at offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Sudbury, Ont., and Halifax. The organization also has a relationship with, Stephen Bronfmans Foundation has also partnered with. ICIJ is dedicated to ensuring all reports we publish are accurate. Rusty Staub was the team's best hitter. So his way of giving back, and he felt was a big philanthropic deed, was that he gave a million dollars to Jerusalem and built a gold Menorah and had it placed in the old city and it is there today. I suppose the geology degree came in handy for future dealings.". Some information may no longer be current. While schools, synagogues and other organizations are an integral part of this dialogue, Gold hopes Gen J will attract the grassroots, people who are not normally engaged in the community structures. In just 6 years, almost 100,000 participants have benefited from this program. In 1999 the company, renamed Netstar, was sold to Canadian broadcaster CTV which gained 90% profit. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. The grandchildren of wealthy patriarchs often give or fritter away the family money, Moore said. We hired the right people, Bronfman says of his new venture. Bronfman has had some setbacks. I met a woman. For decades, the Bronfmans came to prominence within Canada as key fundraisers for the Liberal Party of Canada and filled cabinets with their Laurentian Elite friends. Bronfman, who is alsochairman of Pinewood Toronto Studios, which opened in 2007 in Torontos port, the continents biggest purpose-built film studio, was born into a storied Canadian business family. In the early 1900s, much of the revenue at the family's hotels in Emerson, Manitoba and later in Winnipeg flowed from selling liquor. In the 2010 article "The Heiresses and the Cult", Vanity Fair detailed how Sara and Clare Bronfman had given up to $150 million to NXIVM, a group their father referred to as a cult. Canadian Liberal Party fundraiser Stephen Bronfmans connection to companies that were owed millions by an offshore trust lasted into the mid-2000s, new documents uncovered by ICIJs Canadian partner reveal, despite Bronfmans claim his involvement ended years earlier. A $3.5 billion mistake. In fact, while Bronfman is philosophical about MS, he is downright bitter when he speaks of Montreal. This is where I am comfortable. On June 27, Stephen Bronfman, chairman of Claridge SRB Investments Inc. and Charles Bronfman's son, was married at his 15,000 square-foot Westmount mansion