A developer from Texas is renovating the Peter Grant Mansion in northern Ontario
Going down a YouTube rabbit hole has led to the renovation of the Grant Mansion, known as Canada’s largest home.
The Grant Mansion, a vision of forestry magnate Peter Grant, is a 65,000 square foot home on the shore of Lake Temiskaming in Haileybury, Ontario.
Grant had ambitious plans for the home, including a massive subterranean boathouse, office space golf course, art gallery, yet only one bedroom. The home would also be used to showcase Grant Forestry Products.
However, during the financial crisis of 2008, the company was forced to close, and construction of the home ceased.
Since then, the home, located on a 43-acre property, has become a famous eyesore, attracting explorers as well as its fair share of vandals.
Now, Texas Developer and Cattle Rancher Chris Fischer has restarted the project. He discovered the site while watching YouTube during the COVID era.
“You start looking at say trucks. And by the end of the night, you’re looking at vacation spots in Zimbabwe just by the little links that keep popping up,” he explained. “And there was one that came up and literally said ‘Mansions you can buy for $1 that nobody wants’.”
Fischer continued to research the Grant Mansion and the story behind it. Within a week he was tracking down the owner.
“We actually did a purchase agreement before I even stepped foot on the property,” he said.
This year, Fischer and his family moved from Texas to Northern Ontario to begin renovating the property.
“I was impressed with the size and the scope. The workmanship is amazing; nothing was half assed. You know, he had the money to do it,” Fischer said. “I laugh when people say, ‘Oh, they should demolish it.’ It would cost easily $4 million to take that thing down. I mean, your walls are 24-inch-thick concrete. It’s an impressive place, and it’s not coming down easily.”
Mansion Impossible TV

A production crew is also following the Fischer family as the renovation progresses and the family settles in northern Ontario. Although the first Mansion Impossible episode has yet to be released, clips on YouTube are recording millions of viewers.
Fischer promises the documentary-style show will feature honest portrayals of the renovations and a cast of qualified tradespeople.
“I do watch a lot of reality TV, and I think it sucks that they’re all fake,” Fischer said. “I think people will relate to that when they go home and watch our show.”
Terapro Construction partnership

The reality television angle has also generated sponsorship opportunities, helping to lower the cost of the renovation.
For equipment, Fischer has partnered with Terapro Construction in Sudbury to rent two Case compact machines.
“It was an easy relationship, because I already use Case in Texas, I love their products,” Fischer said. “When you use the machinery, it’s easy to brag about.”
Fischer is using a Case TV620B compact track loader and a CX57C mini excavator.
The TV620B is the largest CTL manufactured by Case and features a 114 hp engine, a 2,812-kg rated operating capacity and a 3.6-metre height to hinge pin. The 5.5-tonne CX57C mini excavator is powered by a 67-hp engine and capable of handling heavier excavation while still being easily transportable.
“It’s a good project to be involved with. Anybody that’s from that neck of the woods knows about the Grant Mansion, so I’m happy that we were the chosen brand to be in there,” said Jason Leger, Vice President of Terapro Construction.
Terapro Construction delivered the two machines to the site in early June.
“He has Case on his ranch, so he had an idea of what he wanted,” Leger said.
Located on the Canadian Shield, the Grant Mansion property is naturally situated on rock and cliffs. During the original construction, the earth was removed from large portions of the property to reveal the stone.
“They removed all the soil on this huge area, so there’s no trees. We wanted trees. So now we’re bringing dirt back and filling it in,” Fischer said, adding the CTL has had no issues travelling the terrain.
“With that TV620B, you can put almost three yards in that bucket. So, we’re bringing in filler and we’re running up on those cliffs. From an extreme standpoint, those machines did well.”
On another section of the property, Fischer is clearing overgrown brush, which is another task where the Case machines have excelled.
“I’ve cleared probably 15 acres of trees that have overgrown in last 15 years. We’re just stockpiling them up. It just makes quick work with the quick cycle times,” he said.
For the renovation, the summer has been dedicated to cleaning out the mansion. When the original construction halted, tools and office equipment were left behind, which proved useful for the many vandals that entered the home since it was abandoned.
“There’s 167 windows and they’re all busted. “They’ve all been shot with bullets or busted from the inside,” Fischer said. “But they’re still intact because they’re so overly built. Everything in this mansion was extreme. I mean, the windows are 4 inches thick. It’s four panes of glass to create a 4-inch window.”
Fortunately, the crew can drive the CTL inside the home and raise the bucket to the second storey.
“We’re dumping trash from the second level into the bucket, and then just driving out the building with it,” Fischer explained.
Creating a wellness centre

When renovations are complete, the home will be transformed into a high-end wellness centre called Reconnection Lodge.
“When it’s done, it will be one of the top wellness centres in the world, for sure,” Fischer said.
Once the mansion is cleaned out, a team will scan every room of the home and create blueprints to repurpose the home for the wellness centre.
“There is a con: there’s very few walls you can move because they’re all poured concrete,” Fischer explained.
Construction is expected to wrap up by fall of 2027. After the main property is restored, Fischer plans to construct 100 short term rental units on the property.
While Texas and northern Ontario have their obvious differences, the Fischer family has found friendliness is a common trait. In late December, when the Fischer’s were staying in a hotel, a local family reached out to invite them for Christmas dinner.
“For somebody to even think about that somebody might be sitting in a hotel room on Christmas Day, I thought was really cool,” Fischer said.
When a negative comment may arise on the Mansion Impossible social media channels, the Fischer’s new neighbours are quick to come to their defense.
“It’s neat when the locals are backing you up,” Fischer said. “This is their town, and, you know, they’re part of this too.”