Former prime minister Brian Mulroney speaks with L. Ian MacDonald about his family, Karlheinz Schreiber, Stephen Harper and Barack Obama


As Brian Mulroney turns 70 today, he has every reason to reflect on what he calls “a good life, a full life.” The former prime minister is in Florida, at his winter home in Palm Beach, surrounded by his wife, four kids and four grandkids.

He adds: “Mila’s in great shape. The kids are in great shape. The grandchildren are fantastic. My health is better than it’s ever been in my life. You’ve got all that going for you at 70, you’re beating the odds.”

Before flying out to Fort Lauderdale yesterday, Mulroney took some time to chat in his law office at Ogilvy Renault, where he is a senior partner and huge rainmaker for the firm.



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Montreal's historic Ogilvy department store is changing hands for the second time in just over a year.

Selfridges Group Ltd., the real estate arm of Canada's wealthy Weston family, is the new buyer.

Terms were not disclosed. Selfridges said it will retain current management.

"This store is a great addition to our growing international portfolio," said chief financial officer Paul Gallagher.

"SGL is pleased to have this opportunity to enhance its retail operations in Montreal, which has an international reputation as a leading fashion centre."

Just last year, the upscale Ste. Catherine St. store - founded in 1866 - was purchased by a private investment group comprised of Champlain Financial Corp., BB Real Estate Investment Trust (controlled by the Beaudoin/Bombardier families) and the Quebec Federation of Labour's Fonds immobilier de solidarité.

It bought the building, also for an undisclosed sum rumoured to be about $100 million, from owners that included a Toronto investment firm and the CBC Employee Pension Fund, and announced plans to open a second Ogilvy location at Quartier Dix30 complex on the South Shore in 2012.

Those plans are still in place, a Selfridges Group spokesperson said Friday.

The downtown store sold previously for a reported $50 million in 2000 and $38,500 in 1927.

Selfridges said the Ogilvy acquisition fits with its corporate plan to own and operate "premier luxury stores in select markets."

These include the Brown Thomas chain in Ireland, de Bijenkorf in The Netherlands, Selfridges in the U.K. and Holt Renfrew in Canada.

pdelean@ montrealgazette.com

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