Welcome to tuxgraphics.org: Casa Loma

Casa Loma

in Toronto

The Casa Loma is a beautiful and huge castle-like mansion in Toronto. Casa Loma means house on a hill in Spanish and indeed you have a nice view of the CN tower from there, even though of course the tower didn't exist yet when the casa loma was built.

Sir Henry Pellatt, a rich Canadian businessman lived there with his wife, after it was completed in 1914. With 98 rooms, the casa loma was the largest private residence at the time. Unfortunately for him and his wife, they could only enjoy their house for a few short years until the government bankrupted him.

Sir Henry Pellat certainly is an interesting personality. He was first active in the development of hydroelectric projects at Niagara Falls and played a big role in bringing electricity to Toronto. His business was going great until the government nationalized the company. He then started an aircraft manufacturing business but again with the start of world war I the government seized his business. The same government also raised the property taxes of his castle from 600$ to 12000$ per year. Therefore he and his first wife, Mary Dodgson had to move to their farm at Marylake in King City as the city then proceeded to seize his castle as well for not being able to pay his property taxes. He had first tried to auction off a lot of his art works and other possessions but still could not keep the house. In 1924 his beloved wife passed away. Three years later in 1927 he married a second time. But his new marriage was short as his new wife, Catharine Welland Merrit also already passed away only two years later in 1929.

He was also a philanthropist.

I think his entrepreneurial spirit is admirable but for me his life and especially the loss of his fortune is also a sad and cautionary tale about government overreach. It should make would-be entrepreneurs pause and think about how they can protect their life's work and not have it snatched away from them.

The castle now belongs to the city of Toronto and is an interesting museum worth visiting.

casa loma