The Kingbridge Centre
Encyclopedia
The Kingbridge Centre is a conference venue and communications facility in King City
, Ontario
, Canada
. It was designed by Arthur Erickson
.
In 1929 the farm was sold to the Toronto Company of the Girl Guides of Canada
. After a series of repairs to the existing buildings, the camp was relocated to Hawkestone, Ontario.
The main facilities were originally built in 1989 by Murray Koffler
, the founder of Shoppers Drug Mart
and co-founder of Four Seasons Hotels
. The site was first named King Ranch Health Spa and Fitness Resort, and was designed as a world class spa facility. It opened in 1989. The spa only remained open until 1992, when it fell into receivership and was repossessed by its financier, The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
(CIBC). Without viable economic prospects, CIBC adapted the facility to become its "Leadership Centre."
In 1996, the secretive Bilderberg Group
held its annual meeting here.
In 2001, the site was sold to John Abele
, co-founder of Boston Scientific
, who transformed it into its current use as a meeting and presentation venue.
King City, Ontario
King City is an affluent, unincorporated village in King Township, Ontario, Canada, located just north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King Township, with 1,629 dwellings and a population of 4,902.-History:...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was designed by Arthur Erickson
Arthur Erickson
Arthur Charles Erickson, was a Canadian architect and urban planner. He studied Asian languages at the University of British Columbia, and later earned a degree in architecture from McGill University.-Biography:...
.
History
Eli Hollinshead purchased a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) parcel on December 18, 1850. On January 6, 1854 it was sold to John Peterman, who later divided it into 4 parcels, the largest being 120 acre (0.4856232 km²). Peterman sold the largest parcel, which is the property that The Kingbridge Centre currently sits on, to William McNair on March 6th, 1861 for $6,000.In 1929 the farm was sold to the Toronto Company of the Girl Guides of Canada
Girl Guides of Canada
Girl Guides of Canada - Guides du Canada is the national Guiding association of Canada. Guiding in Canada started in 1910 and was among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1928. As of 2006, the association had 116,206 members.-History:Mary Malcolmson...
. After a series of repairs to the existing buildings, the camp was relocated to Hawkestone, Ontario.
The main facilities were originally built in 1989 by Murray Koffler
Murray Koffler
Murray Bernard Koffler, is a Canadian pharmacist, businessman, and philanthropist. He is best known for creating the Canadian pharmacy retailer, Shoppers Drug Mart....
, the founder of Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is Canada's largest pharmacy chain with more than 1,241 stores operating under the names Shoppers Drug Mart in nine provinces and two territories and Pharmaprix in Quebec as well as in Hawkesbury, Ontario....
and co-founder of Four Seasons Hotels
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Four Seasons Hotels, Inc. is a Canadian-based international ultra-luxury, five-star hotel management company. Travel + Leisure magazine and Zagat Survey rank the hotel chain's 84 properties among the top luxury hotels worldwide...
. The site was first named King Ranch Health Spa and Fitness Resort, and was designed as a world class spa facility. It opened in 1989. The spa only remained open until 1992, when it fell into receivership and was repossessed by its financier, The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is one of Canada's chartered banks, fifth largest by deposits. The bank is headquartered at Commerce Court in Toronto, Ontario. CIBC's Institution Number is 010, and its SWIFT code is CIBCCATT....
(CIBC). Without viable economic prospects, CIBC adapted the facility to become its "Leadership Centre."
In 1996, the secretive Bilderberg Group
Bilderberg Group
The Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
held its annual meeting here.
In 2001, the site was sold to John Abele
John Abele
John Abele is an American businessman and the co-founder and a director of Boston Scientific, a medical device company.His father, LCDR Mannert Lincoln Abele, USN was Commanding Officer of the submarine USS Grunion when the vessel was lost in the Aleutians on July 31, 1942 presumably to enemy action...
, co-founder of Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific
The Boston Scientific Corporation , is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a range of interventional medical specialties, including interventional cardiology, peripheral interventions, neuromodulation, neurovascular intervention,...
, who transformed it into its current use as a meeting and presentation venue.