bitter towards Hill, in fact quite the opposite, remaining as Hill's staunchest ally throughout the remainder of his career. Stephen remained a director of the CPR until 1893, but thereafter showed only glimpses of interest in the railway. He reduced his holdings and even encouraged others to follow suit. Ironically, the principal source of Stephen's vast wealth stemmed from his investments in Hill's railroads. Salmon fishing A tireless worker, in private life Stephen was retiring with only one real passion – salmon fishing – an enthusiasm in which his first wife readily joined him. In 1873, he purchased an estate at the confluence of the Matapédia and Cascapédia rivers. He made regular trips to the lodge (today a museum) and entertained friends and the occasional Governor-General there. Stephen was a pioneer of sport fishing in the Gaspé Peninsula, introducing many to not only the sport but also to the region, of which he was a generous benefactor. In 1886, he purchased another estate at Grand-Métis, building Estevan Lodge. In 1918, he gave this estate to his sister's daughter, Elsie (Meighen) Reford, who transformed it into the vast Jardins de Métis (Reford Gardens) ornamental garden that remains famous today. Philanthropy Remembered as one of the most generous philanthropists of his time, Stephen sought no accolades for his gestures and directed the majority of his fortune towards hospitals. In 1890, he and his first cousin, Lord Strathcona, purchased the Frothingham estate in the Golden Square Mile as the site for the Royal Victoria Hospital. They gave this purchase to the City of Montreal with the caveat that the land and its buildings must only ever be used for education and healing. They then contributed $500,000 each for its construction and after it opened in 1893 they gave a further $500,000 each in stock to establish an endowment fund to maintain it. Stephen also donated a wing to the Montreal General Hospital and made donations to various hospitals in Scotland. In 1901 he donated £25,000 to clear the debt resting on the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, for which he was in August 1901 honoured with the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen. Though best remembered today for the Royal Vic, he reserved the bulk of his fortune for the Prince of Wales Hospital Fund in London. Stephen worked closely with the future George V in creating its endowment fund and was its most important