Mshati Productions
The listing: 1 Banfield St., Paris, Ont.
Asking price: $4,895,000
Taxes: $14,672.73 (2024)
Lot size: 1.25 acres
Agents: Paul Maranger, Christian Vermast, Kevin Haight, Alicia Haight, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada
The backstory
On a breezy Sunday morning in June, a group of renowned authors, celebrated artists and mavens of the entertainment business will soon descend on the Paris, Ont., home of Salah Bachir for an art and garden tour.
“I’m having a garden party and it looks like rain,” observes the philanthropist, glancing through a tall window overlooking the grounds.
The weather may be capricious, but the atmosphere surrounding Mr. Bachir is halcyon as he relaxes on a red leather sofa in the sunroom.
Less time outdoors will only mean the guests have more time to absorb the museum-quality art indoors.
On this occasion, Mr. Bachir and his husband, artist Jacob Yerex, are hosting a benefit for the Pelee Island Bird Observatory. Author Margaret Atwood, co-founder and honourary chair of the charity devoted to the conservation of migratory birds, is enroute.
A Syrian chef has prepared an array of dishes, which are laid out on the kitchen’s antique table.
“It’s very casual,” Mr. Bachir says of the Arcadian fête.
It was the pursuit of a tranquil country lifestyle that first drew the Toronto-based entrepreneur to this Gothic Victorian mansion surrounded by more than an acre of lawns and gardens in small-town Ontario.
Mr. Bachir spotted the property in a newspaper ad when it was listed for sale, and a mutual acquaintance connected him with the owners.
“I was mesmerized by everything,” he recalls of his first visit 32 years ago.
The yellow-brick house is just up the hill from the town’s historic centre, perched on a high point of land between the Grand and Nith rivers. Built in 1854 – one of the earliest grand homes in the area – it still has its own postal code.
The building’s walls are two feet thick, Mr. Bachir points out, and original elements such as the arched windows, leaded glass and ornate moldings have been preserved.
Mr. Bachir kept finding excuses to visit the area – he needed to shop at local farm stands, for example – until he made up his mind to buy the property.
A search of town records revealed that the house was built for Charles Whitlaw, who started with one flour mill in Paris and expanded to create a local empire.
The second owner, Henry Stroud, arrived in Paris in the late 1800s to manage a carpet factory and went on to become the town’s mayor.
A military officer and barrister took up residence in the early 20th century, followed by the industrialist J.K. Martin, who modernized the house with up-to-date lighting, heating and bathrooms.
Visitors to the home have included Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, automobile magnate Henry Ford and actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Over the years, One Banfield became a sanctuary away from the business meetings, galas and dinners that Mr. Bachir often attended during the week in Toronto, where he was president of Cineplex Media for many years.
On weekends, he likes to cook, catch up on reading, and unwind with Mr. Yerex. The couple often invite friends to drive the 90 minutes or so from the city.
“They’re always good gardeners or good cooks,” Mr. Bachir says with a grin.
The house today
Home of the Week, 1 Banfield St., Paris, Ont.Mshati Productions
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Soon after he purchased the home, Mr. Bachir arrived one weekend to find a wedding party in the backyard having their photos taken.
(He wouldn’t have minded, he says, but he would have preferred they ask).
Eventually, Mr. Bachir enclosed the entire property behind a black wrought iron fence.
While other stately homes in Paris have been turned into retirement homes and businesses, One Banfield has always remained a private residence.
Today there are five fireplaces spread throughout the home, which has five bedrooms and six bathrooms.
The property was well-maintained but he found the decor a bit bland, so Mr. Bachir worked extensively with interior designer Edward Welker to add some élan to the house with 5,800 square feet of living space on two levels.
Rather than conform to the Victorian period, Mr. Bachir takes an eclectic approach to design.
He opened up a blocked entranceway on the south side of the building, and had heated floors installed in the refurbished foyer and sunroom.
Two old-fashioned parlours were joined to create one large salon, and the principal rooms were painted to bring out the details of the plaster ceiling medallions, arches and millwork.
In the main hall, an elegant Victorian staircase winds to the second floor. Mr. Bachir decided to preserve and paint the intricately-patterned damask wallpaper from the 1950s.
The glass motif in an arched window is reminiscent of Mr. Bachir’s native Lebanon.
After a time, Mr. Bachir brought in Toronto-based Kohn Shnier architects to add some modern comfort. A breezeway was reconfigured into a contemporary entranceway leading to the kitchen.
A small second-floor bedroom was transformed into a spa bathroom with a stand-alone tub, walk-in shower and steam room with a skylight above.
One of the quirks of small-town life is that the neighbours often have strong opinions about the heritage architecture.
Mr. Bachir laughs about the time he was picking up a few ingredients at the local grocer’s and an acquaintance yelled from the back of the line, “why are you putting a modern bathroom in that lovely old Victorian house?”
“If Queen Victoria could have had heated floors, she would have done it!,” was his gleeful retort.
The house also comes with 18 chandeliers, including 12 custom-made in Murano, Italy, by the studio of Galliano Ferro.
The lower level – excavated to create large windows and an additional two feet of ceiling height – provides 1,716 square feet of added living space, including a modern gymnasium.
The interior has continued to evolve over time, says Mr. Bachir – often with contributions from guests who needed a place to stay for a while.
“Several friends were going through break-ups – they all happened to be gay designers.”
Throughout the house, Mr. Bachir – now chancellor emeritus of OCAD University – often spends time moving in or out paintings, photographs and sculpture from his collection, which at one time numbered more than 3,000 pieces. His private collection of works by Andy Warhol is one of the world’s largest.
As visitors arrive for the afternoon festivities, Mr. Bachir and Mr. Yerex fill Champagne glasses and urge guests to load their plates with Middle Eastern delicacies.
Writers, painters, actors and nature lovers gather in the dining room, under a ceiling adorned with gold leaf. Ms. Atwood amuses the group with stories about summers spent guiding kids at a Northern Ontario camp with a guest sitting on the other side of the candelabra – artist Charles Pachter.
The young campers dubbed her Peggy Nature, Ms. Atwood recounts with a smile.
A few revelers inquire about the artwork displayed without labels on the vibrant red walls of the dining room. Mr. Bachir elucidates iconic works by Yousuf Karsh, Norman Rockwell and Kent Monkman, among others.
The rain holds off and the guests disperse to chat or wander through the landscape outside.
Mr. Bachir and Mr. Yerex will continue to live in Paris, but they are streamlining their lives, they say. A few years ago they bought a neighbouring house with an elevator. As they have renovated that home, they have been gradually giving away a large portion of the collection.
The couple is deeply immersed in the local community: Mr. Bachir is leading the fundraising campaign for a new museum building for the Woodland Cultural Centre.
The centre, which serves as a hub for Hodinohsho:ni knowledge and Indigenous culture, is currently housed in a retrofitted Residential School building on the lands of the Six Nations of the Grand River in nearby Brantford, Ont.
Mr. Bachir aims to remedy that: he figures the centre will need $65-million for the new museum and gallery.
As he contemplates moving on, Mr. Bachir hopes One Banfield will draw new custodians who enjoy the serenity of the gardens and the comfort of the interior.
It has always been a family home, he points out. His own nephew recently brought a group of friends over for a pool party.
“I love the sound of kids in the house.”
The best feature
The home has a 54-foot by 20-foot saltwater pool with two waterfalls flowing over a limestone wall.Mshati Productions
On the surrounding grounds, landscape architect John Lloyd built on the earlier vision of renowned garden designer Lois Lister.
Queen Elizabeth received a bouquet of peonies from One Banfield when she visited Paris during one Canadian tour.
About 10 years ago, Mr. Bachir began work on a 54-foot by 20-foot saltwater pool with two waterfalls flowing over a limestone wall.
“In Lebanon we were five minutes from the sea,” he says of his inspiration.
Mr. Bachir adds that his family’s house in Lebanon is surrounded by trees, plants and a wall of jasmine.
To remind him of his home country, he planted a majestic cedar of Lebanon, along with fig and apricot trees.
“He just had a really intuitive sense for what the home needed,” Mr. Yerex says of the backyard haven. “It’s on the highest point in town. You really get the sense that there’s no one here.”