The Topping Retreat: The Waldorf of the Wilderness

On the market for the first time in nearly 40 years, the historic Topping Retreat, in the heart of Quebec’s wilderness, is a veritable rarity and one of the few remaining connections to the region’s extraordinary natural surroundings.

The current owner, Scott Sorensen, along with his wife Pat and five daughters, has been the primary caretaker, custodian, and faithful chronicler of the camp at the mouth of the Kipawa River since the mid-1970s. In 1999, seventeen years after he purchased the property from his long-time friend Don Bair, he wrote The Kipawa River Chronicles in an effort to drum up support in opposition to a water-diversion campaign proposed by Hydro Quebec which threatened to permanently disrupt life on the river as it had been for thousands of years. The book tells the story of the untameable majesty of Mother Nature and her power to give and take as she pleases. There are stories of wild men, wild animals, triumphs and tragedies but above all, Sorensen’s account is that of a place of rarified beauty, astounding adventures and the spectacular setting which bore witness to it all. 

“After travelling for several miles along rough, inaccessible shoreline, the sight of the small protected bay, where our house of logs stood surrounded by the tallest trees and greenest grass in all of Quebec was a pleasure,” wrote Sorensen, returning to the camp in the Spring with his new bride, after first arriving as a fishing guide the summer prior. There is an unmistakable allure to the camp at Kipawa River. Perhaps it’s the four striking log cabins or maybe it's the way the light falls like radiant brushstrokes through the towering spruce and pine. For many, however, the allure is a call to adventure that echoes through the forests and into the roar of the whitewater rapids. As Sorensen wrote, “For a hundred years, the camp at Kipawa River has lured lumberjacks, fishermen, movie stars and millionaires” each drawn by the river’s unmatched beauty. Known for its world-class whitewater kayaking, hunting and fishing; the retreat has been an international destination of repute for sporting outdoorsmen since the first cabin was constructed in the mid-1800s. 

Over the years, the camp has been known by many names but none more enduring than the Topping Retreat. Named after the Topping Family, New York City business magnates and socialites — the family came to own the property after their eldest son, Dan Topping, arrived at the camp when it was a wilderness retreat for affluent adolescents from Canada and the United States. Having fallen for the rustic glamour, Dan lured his mother and brother to the camp in the early 1930s and, after a few short weeks, the family purchased it. The Toppings would go on to own the property for 30 years, during which time Dan Topping purchased the New York Yankees and led them to 14 pennants and 10 World Series. Back at Kipawa, he and his brother Bob turned the camp into what they called the “Waldorf of the Wilderness.” To this day, the oldest cabin on the property is the original Topping cabin and features three bedrooms, a beautiful stone fireplace, and incredible views of the river.

Sorensen, for his part, was also lured by a call to adventure and the promise of some of the best whitewater kayaking and sport fishing in North America. Over the last 40 years, he has made it his life’s mission to preserve the natural beauty of the region and to take meticulous care of the historic retreat. Sitting on 230 acres of the most pristine land in northern Quebec, privacy is one of the property’s most valuable assets. There are no other neighbours or private property for over 20km. Far from the traditional cottage on the lake, the Topping Retreat is a place defined by the serenity of its isolation and is an invitation to disconnect from the stresses of urban life and reconnect with the natural world. 

Of the two cabins built by Sorensen himself, the first was constructed over the course of four summers and completed in 1989. Using pioneer techniques, the logs used in construction are iconic red pines, harvested on the property. The work was labour-intensive but precise, resulting in a cabin equipped to stand the test of time. The ceilings, walls and floors were salvaged from Bob Topping’s cabin, which was named Club 21 in honour of New York’s iconic 21 Club. In 1987, Sorensen built a seven-foot-wide twenty-eight-foot-tall fireplace of marbled granite stones retrieved from the river. In his book, Sorensen writes, “[The stones used] were uniquely beautiful as well. Some were dark grey granite marbled with white veins of quartz; some had shades of amber and rose flecked with tiny grains of glittering mica.” The cabin has two bedrooms on the main floor, a massive sleeping loft, an oversized fireplace and a wrap-around covered deck with amazing views of the rapids.  

In 1995, Sorensen built the retreat’s third cabin, using the property’s red pine logs. Its distinguishing features are the soaring ceilings and beautiful wood-burning stone fireplace of the great room. The third cabin has three bedrooms and a large sleeping loft capable of accommodating eight people. Facing toward Lake Témiscaming, it too has an extraordinary view which can be observed from either one of the two covered decks. The final cabin was constructed of massive white pines in 2001 by master log builder, Alain Poitras of Angliers Quebec. Considered the main lodge, it has three bedrooms and a sleeping loft capable of accommodating an additional fifteen people.

In many ways, the most enduring quality of the Topping Retreat is its unique ability to be unmarked by the passage of time. Used as a set for silent films a century ago,  the property looks nearly unchanged today.  It’s no wonder why the chance to own this incredible property only arises every few decades or so — it’s because it’s so much more than just a house on a lake. It’s a rare opportunity to care for a piece of history, to live a simpler life, and to step into a place where time stands still in the heart of one of the world’s most magnificent wilderness settings.