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June 15, 2010

by Paul Moloney

Even Casa Loma’s former lobbyist says it may be time to turn the city-owned landmark over to a new operator.

Paul Sutherland, a former city councillor, was hired by the castle’s long-time manager, the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma, to help achieve a new deal with the city, which wants to see interior renovations, new programming and new visitor amenities added.

“You can only give people so much time and if it doesn’t feel like it’s going in the right direction, then perhaps there should be substantial change there,” Sutherland said Tuesday.

A new management agreement was negotiated between the city and Kiwanis and took effect two years ago. But Mayor David Miller has complained of slow progress.
Kiwanis has managed the facility for 70 years, but tensions have arisen in recent years with the city, which spent $16 million on exterior renovations between 2003 and 2009.

At Monday’s meeting of the city executive

After lavish promises to renew one of Toronto’s top tourist landmarks, the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma has accomplished next to nothing in the last 20 months.

Missed deadlines figure in almost every aspect of a much-ballyhooed deal with the city to turn Henry Pellatt’s neo-Gothic castle into a modern museum and event centre.

Detailed proposals due last June to rework the castle and its outbuildings into fresh galleries, community venues, a theatre and possibly a five-star restaurant have been rejected as inadequate, city officials say.
A prescription for “the complete reinvigoration” of the third-floor galleries is more than a month overdue, with the board of trustees requesting a one-year extension.

While masons hired by the city continue to shore up the crumbling exterior, completion of almost every Kiwanis commitment scheduled this year remains in doubt,

Re:   ‘City Council June 23/08  ‘Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma Management Agreement’

 Torontonians’ are about to be robbed  of over  $49.36 Million* in losses for another 20 years when City Council meets on June 23^rd of 2008 to approve Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma Management Agreement.

(*refer below A to D on City loses $ 49 million)

The City Manager’s report recommendations for this lease agreement were approved by the City’s Executive Committee on June 3^rd 2008, granting Kiwanis Club to receive another 20 years ‘sole-sourced’ control of Casa Loma. For the past 70 years since 1936, Kiwanis Club have had monopolistic control for governance of our city-owned Casa Loma castle.

On Canada Day, Kiwanis Club (a US republican charity club) agreement will be effective for another 20 year tenure over Canada’s castle – 2^nd largest tourist attraction. For a total of