Elton John's Home Again

More news from the local grapevine is pouring in concerning yesterday's story about whether Sir Elton John owns a home in the Caledon Hills near Toronto.

Traffic in the store and on Blighty's website has increased dramatically since the Toronto Star broke the news about Sir Elton's possible local home yesterday. People have been crowding into the store to share their tidbits of information on the subject.

Caledon is a small rural town in southern Ontario. The nearest local shopping area is in the adjacent town of Orangeville, a few short kilometers from Sir Elton's sprawling mansion on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. This is a close knit community and people talk.

Here is what Blighty's Blog has learned
A smokescreen cover story was released to members of the local private golf club that the home in question is actually owned by a reclusive billionaire. The name of the recluse was disclosed to Blighty's Blog golf reporter Andrew Oldcourse, but further investigation of the named individual has failed to turn up any information about the man or the source of his money.

Key Evidence Revealed
During early construction a local resident ignored signs posted on the property that read: "No trespassing, by order of an English knight who plays the piano and likes his privacy!". Stealthily penetrating the very structure of the building he found a large pool with elaborate fountains and something else that is a very important piece of evidence.

Sir Elton John is a "Petrolhead"
Our local, intrepid amateur spy, Jim Bond, discovered a feature of the house that inextricably links Sir Elton - a known "petrolhead" (car enthusiast) - with the building. The feature is a rotating garage with a capacity for 30 cars. Sir Elton owns a large collection of expensive cars.

"The Client" is Coming!
Construction work continues on the house. The building itself is substantially complete as could be seen in the picture published by the Toronto Star yesterday. Some local tradesmen are still working at the property. One of Blighty's customers told Blighty's Blog this morning that one contractor's craftsmen were told to expedite completion of their efforts last week because "the client" was coming to town. Sir Elton John performed at the Air Canada Centre in downtown Toronto just a fews days ago.

The Registered Homeowner is ...
If I were a multi-millionaire performer who wanted a private hideaway nestled in an exclusive neighborhood, safe from the prying eyes of local serfs, I would probably register ownership through a foreign numbered corporation with nominee directors.

Sir Elton had other thoughts apparently. And this tidbit is, thus far, unsubstantiated rumour. Sir Elton had ownership of the house registered in the name of his partner's (David Furnish) parents. That should be fairly easy for somebody connected with the real estate industry to check out.

Meanwhile, Down in the Valley
At the foot of the hill, below Sir Elton's new house, lies a scenic road twisting and turning alongside the Credit River. Blighty's Blog has hired the services of a resident of that road to keep watch over activities at the top of the hill. So, Sir Elton, while you and David are kicking back with a glass of wine on your deck some evening this week, the strange reflection you see at the bottom of the hill will be the setting sun glinting off the binoculars held by Blighty's Blog's observer-in-action Ms Soon C. Hoos-Thair.

Elton John at Home in Canada

Does Sir Elton John own a home in Caledon, near Toronto, or is this just an urban myth? I was quoted in an article in the Toronto Star newspaper today affirming strong local belief that Sir Elton is one of our neighbours.

One thing is sure, a huge mansion is nearing completion alongside Highway 10 at the top of the escarpment just south of Caledon Village, about 80km north-west of Toronto. The house is at the end of a long driveway with a security guard booth at the entrance.

A lot of prominent and wealthy Canadians live nearby. The Eaton family (formerly of the iconic Canadian retail store chain) live only a kilometer or so from Sir Elton's new home. John Roth, former head of Nortel, built a mansion nearby. The Armstrong family - prominent racehorse owners and builders of Ontario's massive highway 401 own large properties in the area.

Take a drive through the lanes around the Devil's Pulpit area west of highway 10 along the edge of the Niagara Escarpment and you will find many prominent homes with electronic security at the gates. This is the neighborhood where Canada's wealthy elite kick off their shoes.

I was first made aware that this home belonged to Sir Elton by a local Canada Post manager. If anybody should know who lives there it is surely the post office. When Sir Elton performed in Sudbury a few months ago there was a lot of activity around the home that his partner, Canadian David Furnish, denies owning.

Sir Elton John's principal residence is in Old Windsor, England. But, he is known to own other homes in Venice, Atlanta and Nice. So why such secrecy surrounding a possible home in Canada? And if Sir Elton doesn't own the property in Caledon, who does?

Blighty's Blog investigative reporter Hugh Dunnit has uncovered evidence that Sir Elton is not, in fact, the owner of the home. The property is believed to be registered in the name of a Mr Reginald Dwight.

A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse, as they say in jolly old England.