Mr. Browning, a four-time world champion figure skater, has decorated one wall in the living room with hats, most of which he has worn in his professional career, including the fedora he wore for his signature Singin’ in the Rain routine.The Print Market
397 Soudan Ave., Toronto
Asking Price: $3,195,000
Taxes: $12,818.00 (2024)
Lot Size: 25 by 150 feet
Agents: Robert Greenberg and Amir Kiabi, Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd.
The backstory
When figure skating legend Kurt Browning was looking for a new Toronto home in 2015, Greenwood College School was at the epicentre of his search.
His elder son was a student at the private academy.
“I drove around Greenwood in ever-increasing circles until I found this,” Mr. Browning says of the contemporary three-bedroom home on Soudan Avenue in midtown Toronto.
The house in the popular Davisville neighbourhood, east of Mount Pleasant Road, was still under construction at the time.
The fact that it’s an easy drive to the indoor ice rinks at both the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club and the Granite Club was just a fortunate coincidence.
“My relationship with the Granite Club goes back a long way,” says Mr. Browning. “That was my home club when I was world champion.”
Mr. Browning is a four-time world champion who made history in Budapest in 1988 as the first skater to land a quadruple jump in competition.
He later turned professional and has travelled the world for many years as an artist and choreographer with Stars on Ice. On tour, he met Alissa Czisny, a two-time U.S. national figure skating champion, and the two married in 2022.
The couple has spent many late nights at the Cricket Club, holding practice sessions and choreographing routines for Stars on Ice, says Ms. Czisny.
The property on Soudan became the haven they returned to from long stretches on the road.
The house today
The house was nearing completion when Mr. Browning first spotted it.
The design was contemporary, but the addition of wood cladding on the exterior appealed to Mr. Browning, who grew up on a farm in Alberta. He is still drawn to the outdoors.
“It was a little touch of nature,” he says, “yet the house has a modern flair that I felt ready for.”
With 2,512 square feet of above-grade living space, the home provided lots of space for Mr. Browning, his sons Gabriel and Dillon, and the family dog Rocky.
Mr. Browning also found the open plan well-suited for family life.
The Davisville home provides plenty of space for entertaining family and friends.The Print Market
Floor-to-ceiling windows in the family room overlook the backyard.The Print Market
From the front foyer, stairs rise to the main floor, with a dining and lounging area at the front of the home and a kitchen and family room at the rear.
The lounging area has a gas fireplace with stone surround and a built-in window seat overlooking the street.
The layout provides plenty of space where Mr. Browning and Ms. Czisny can entertain friends and family.
In their younger years, the brothers and Rocky chased each other endlessly around the space in loops, Mr. Browning likens to a figure eight.
Today, the dining area holds a large table that can quickly be converted from a spot for formal meals to a pool table.
“Ninety-nine per cent of the time, it’s a pool table,” Mr. Browning deadpans.
The modern design and 10-foot ceilings on the main floor also provide a good backdrop for art and mementos, including 18 of Mr. Browning’s signature hats.
“Fifty per cent are work hats,” he says, pointing out the fedora he wore for his well-known Singin’ in the Rain routine.
There’s also a close-up image of the nicks and scratches on his battle-scarred blades and a collection of photorealistic paintings by the Canadian artist Will Fisk.
At the rear of the house, floor-to-ceiling windows in the family room overlook the backyard and a door opens to a deck for lounging and barbecuing.
At the centre of the house, a staircase with wood treads and a rail of glass and stainless steel rises to the second floor. Two bedrooms – one with ensuite bathroom – face the street.
There’s also a family bathroom on that level.
Mr. Browning’s office at the centre of the upper floor could be turned into a fourth bedroom.
Soudan Avenue has proven to be a friendly street where homeowners help each other out, Mr. Browning says.The Print Market
Today, the room has a wall of floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors opening to the hallway. When the doors are closed, Mr. Browning notes, he can block out the sounds of family living while he’s writing a speech or joining a video conference.
Skylights throughout the upper level bring plenty of light to the interior.
The lower level has a spare room, a bathroom and a large room with sliding doors opening to the backyard.
That space could be another bedroom, but for many years it has been a recreation room, where Mr. Browning and his sons played floor hockey with winter boots standing in for goal posts.
Currently, Mr. Browning and Ms. Czisny use the room as a home gym. Having a variety of strength-training equipment was essential during the COVID pandemic, the couple says.
“For the first year, I think I skated one hour,” Mr. Browning says.
They still train extensively today.
Outside, the backyard has a large deck and a built-in hot tub.
Living in the neighbourhood has allowed the family to be able to walk to Bayview and Mount Pleasant, two nearby major arteries with lots of restaurants and cafes.The Print Market
Mr. Browning says Soudan Avenue is a friendly street where homeowners help each other out. After winter storms, he often pitches in with snow shovelling up and down the block. When he and Ms. Czisny are travelling, neighbours return the favour.
Dillon followed in his brother’s footsteps to attend Greenwood, which is walking distance from the home.
The couple also have the option to stroll when they head out for dinner or shopping.
“I walk to Bayview. I walk to Mount Pleasant,” Mr. Browning says of the two main arteries, which each have plenty of restaurants, cafés and shops.
Now that Gabriel and Dillon have graduated and moved on to new challenges, Mr. Browning and Ms. Czisny are planning to move to the Niagara Peninsula.
“This is where the boys became young men,” he says of the home. “My parenting duties have changed.”
He and Ms. Czisny are planning to build a country retreat on a well-treed property. Mr. Browning aims to cut down one of the trees so that he can use the wood for flooring in the new house.
“That’s what my dad did,” he says.
A they transition to a new phase, Mr. Browning and Ms. Czisny are planning a venture centred around coaching and choreography for adult skating.
Mr. Browning will also be continuing as a television commentator for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Gradually, the couple hopes to wind down.
“We’re going to start travelling the world to see it, not entertain it,” Mr. Browning says.
The main ensuite bathroom has a stand-alone tub, double sink vanity, and a large walk-in shower.The Print Market
The best feature
At the rear of the upper level, the primary suite has a picture window facing a canopy of mature trees.
There’s a large walk-in closet with a skylight above.
The ensuite bathroom has a stand-alone tub, double sink vanity, and a large walk-in shower.
Mr. Browning added a generator to create a steam shower after becoming accustomed to warming up cold muscles with hot vapours before practice during frigid Edmonton winters.
“We’re athletes,” he says. “I’ve kept that need for steam. That’s my superpower.”