Archives http://casalomatrust.ca Thu, 07 Aug 2014 21:57:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.1 June-15-2011 National Post – City assumes control of Casa Loma http://casalomatrust.ca/2011/06/15/city-assumes-control-of-casa-loma-jun-1511/ Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:42:10 +0000 http://casalomatrust.ca/wp/?p=148 Natalie Alcoba, National Post · Jun. 15, 2011 | Last Updated: Jun. 15, 2011 3:03 AM ET

The City of Toronto assumed control of Casa Loma on Tuesday, the inner-city castle that has been run for the last 74 years by a Kiwanis Club chapter, and embarked on a study of future options, which could include putting it on the market.

“I think Casa Loma is something that we eventually have to sell,” Mayor Rob Ford told reporters on Tuesday, after council passed a mutually agreedupon transfer of management to a city corporation without debate.

As part of the deal, the city is paying the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma $1.45-million for artifacts accumulated over their years at the helm, and the value of nine trademarks including “Casa Loma” and “Toronto’s Majestic Castle.”

Despite pouring money into a $20-million facelift, Casa Loma is an out-of-date venue that has not had the money to adapt to a changing tourism industry and

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Natalie Alcoba, National Post · Jun. 15, 2011 | Last Updated: Jun. 15, 2011 3:03 AM ET

The City of Toronto assumed control of Casa Loma on Tuesday, the inner-city castle that has been run for the last 74 years by a Kiwanis Club chapter, and embarked on a study of future options, which could include putting it on the market.

“I think Casa Loma is something that we eventually have to sell,” Mayor Rob Ford told reporters on Tuesday, after council passed a mutually agreedupon transfer of management to a city corporation without debate.

As part of the deal, the city is paying the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma $1.45-million for artifacts accumulated over their years at the helm, and the value of nine trademarks including “Casa Loma” and “Toronto’s Majestic Castle.”

Despite pouring money into a $20-million facelift, Casa Loma is an out-of-date venue that has not had the money to adapt to a changing tourism industry and has struggled financially as a result.

The challenge is finding a way to get people to visit the attraction more than once, said Mike Williams, general manager of economic development and culture.

“It’s a landmark and as such I suspect there will be a heritage community and many others who think we should retain ownership. Whether we can afford to do that, whether it’s the best way to preserve the landmark, we will have to assess.”

FOR SALE

In a bid to help the City of Toronto clarify its thoughts on the future of Casa Loma, the Post’s Jane Switzer offers this hint of what a Casa Loma real-estate listing might highlight.

Perched atop a hill in Toronto’s desirable Casa Loma neighbourhood, this 180,000 square-foot Gothic Revival-style castle boasts 98 rooms, five acres of exquisite gardens and parking for 150. The custom-built home, with ornate woodwork throughout, was constructed between 1911 and 1914, is a five-minute walk to both Dupont and St. Clair West subway stations and several elementary and high schools.

With its proximity to the respectable Forest Hill neighbourhood, buyers can expect to rub elbows with notable residents such as figure skater Kurt Browning and businessman Galen Weston Sr.

The spacious main floor boasts a great hall, dining room and library, as well as a light-filled conservatory, ideal for hosting the next intimate Lady Gaga concert. Other main-floor amenities include smoking and billiard rooms for entertaining. The two ground-floor secret passages are ideal for murder mystery parties and hiding vampire boyfriends.

Features of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom second floor include a spacious guest suite and specially designed sitting room, reknowned for its curved doors and windows. Adventurous buyers can venture into the castle’s towers via the third floor, which houses the servant’s quarters.

Lower-level features include renovation-ready space for a pool, gymnasium and bowling alley, and an underground tunnel to the hunting lodge and stables. The property’s massive manicured landscape is its greatest appeal, with five acres of gardens hosting a stable and a two-storey, 4,380-square-foot hunting lodge.

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June-14-2011 Globe and Mail – Recently renovated piece of Toronto history a good buy http://casalomatrust.ca/2011/06/14/recently-renovated-piece-of-toronto-history-a-good-buy-jun-1411/ Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:17:19 +0000 http://casalomatrust.ca/wp/?p=159 The Globe and Mail

For Sale: Casa Loma

Recently renovated piece of Toronto history a good buy

ELIZABETH CHURCH

From Wednesday’s Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Jun. 14, 2011 9:07PM EDT

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford wants to put Casa Loma, the city-owned mansion, on the block. “Casa Loma is something that I think eventually we have to sell. That’s the bottom line,” he said Tuesday.

It is difficult to put a price on this historical fixer upper, but could the city find a willing buyer for the prestige property? Here’s a look at what perspective buyers would get.

More related to this story

CASA LOMA

1 Austin Terrace

The back story

It’s been a century since local tycoon Sir Henry Pellatt broke ground on this sprawling five-acre

Read the rest
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The Globe and Mail

For Sale: Casa Loma

Recently renovated piece of Toronto history a good buy

ELIZABETH CHURCH

From Wednesday’s Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Jun. 14, 2011 9:07PM EDT

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford wants to put Casa Loma, the city-owned mansion, on the block. “Casa Loma is something that I think eventually we have to sell. That’s the bottom line,” he said Tuesday.

It is difficult to put a price on this historical fixer upper, but could the city find a willing buyer for the prestige property? Here’s a look at what perspective buyers would get.

More related to this story

CASA LOMA

1 Austin Terrace

The back story

It’s been a century since local tycoon Sir Henry Pellatt broke ground on this sprawling five-acre estate. Designed by E.J. Lennox – the architect of Old City Hall – the 170,000-square-foot gothic revival mansion took 300 men, three years and $3.5-million to complete. That’s roughly $90-million in today’s dollars. It had 98 rooms when completed and was the largest private home in Canada. Sir Henry’s grand ambitions soon fell on hard times and the city seized the castle for unpaid taxes. An attempt was made to operate it as an apartment hotel, but after sitting vacant for a dozen years, the Kiwanis Club offered to run it as a charitable venture. On Tuesday, city council voted to take back management of the property, instructing staff to craft a new long-term strategy.

The house today

The city has nearly finished a $33-million restoration of the exterior of the castle and its stables. But on the inside, this house on the hill would require a major redo, says agent Janet Lindsay, who specializes in luxury homes at Chestnut Park Real Estate. Ms. Lindsay doubts the castle would sell as a single-family home, but says it could fetch top dollar divided into condominium suites. “There is a lot of great wealth in Toronto and for one-of-a-kind properties people will pay for it, whether they are local or international,” she said. “It would be splendid for multifamily units.”

A penthouse at the new Four Seasons building recently sold for $28-million for 9,000 square feet, she says, an indication of the demand at the top end of the market.

The best features

This landmark property has soaring ceilings and plenty of character. Casa Loma features fountains, terraces and balconies, a secret tunnel and two hidden passageways. The main floor includes a conservatory, billiards room, great hall and library. But it’s the location, at the top of the escarpment with the Toronto skyline as a constant backdrop, that really gives it the “wow” factor, Ms. Lindsay says. “It has a whole view of the city.”

More related to this story

 

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Jun-7-2011-Town Crier- Kiwanis out at Casa Loma http://casalomatrust.ca/2011/06/07/kiwanis-out-at-casa-loma-jun-711/ Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:28:16 +0000 http://casalomatrust.ca/wp/?p=142

TownNews

Kiwanis out at Casa Loma

By Karolyn Coorsh

June 7, 2011
Neighbourhoods: Casa Loma

It wasn’t exactly a fairytale ending for Toronto’s castle on the hill, but it was an ending, nonetheless.

On May 24, council’s executive committee voted to terminate a 74-year arrangement between the city-owned Casa Loma and its operators, The Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma.

The Forest Hill-area tourist attraction will now become wholly the city’s responsibility, falling under the jurisdiction of Economic Development and Culture. Over the course of the next 12–18 months, that department will determine the best governance structure for Casa Loma’s future.

Under the new transition agreement, the city is to pay Kiwanis $1.45 million for artefacts and trademarks owned by Kiwanis, including “Casa Loma” and “Toronto’s Majestic Castle.”

While the city will assume service contracts for continued operation of the castle, Kiwanis will hold weekly meetings and retain an administration office on site. Kiwanis is also to receive unpaid management fees … Read the rest

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TownNews

Kiwanis out at Casa Loma

By Karolyn Coorsh

June 7, 2011
Neighbourhoods: Casa Loma

It wasn’t exactly a fairytale ending for Toronto’s castle on the hill, but it was an ending, nonetheless.

On May 24, council’s executive committee voted to terminate a 74-year arrangement between the city-owned Casa Loma and its operators, The Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma.

The Forest Hill-area tourist attraction will now become wholly the city’s responsibility, falling under the jurisdiction of Economic Development and Culture. Over the course of the next 12–18 months, that department will determine the best governance structure for Casa Loma’s future.

Under the new transition agreement, the city is to pay Kiwanis $1.45 million for artefacts and trademarks owned by Kiwanis, including “Casa Loma” and “Toronto’s Majestic Castle.”

While the city will assume service contracts for continued operation of the castle, Kiwanis will hold weekly meetings and retain an administration office on site. Kiwanis is also to receive unpaid management fees valued at $300,000.

The recommendation to sever ties closes the book on a tumultuous relationship between the city and Kiwanis. In 2008, the city entered into a new 20-year contract with Kiwanis, but with no marked improvement in revenues or interior renovations in the years following, city officials began to question Kiwanis’ abilities to transform Casa Loma into a world-class attraction.

The castle, built between 1911 and 1914 by Sir Henry Pellatt, doesn’t live up to its tourism draw potential in Toronto, and that is partially due to limitations of the service club’s ability to fundraise and market the castle, said Joe Mihevc, local councillor and Casa Loma board member.

“In this highly competitive tourist and special event market you need to have folks with specialized skills right up at the top because you’re competing not just with the AGO … but you’re actually in competition with other major centres around the world,” he said.

Kiwanis is simply too small an organization and too focused on the day-to-day operations to realize that the ground underneath Casa Loma had changed, Mihevc added.

Adding to longstanding operations woes, were conflict of interest problems. Back in July, council insisted Kiwanis remove board chair Richard Wozenilek over what the city deemed a conflict of interest with his job as a partner at law firm Keel Cottrelle. According to the city manager, the law firm had billed work that reflected that Wozenilek had personally worked on behalf of Casa Loma without declaring an interest. As of the May vote, Wozenilek was still the chair. Wozenilek could not be reached for comment by press time, but stood firm back in March that he would remain as chair as long as Kiwanis was managing Casa Loma.

The recommendations made at executive committee will go to a final vote at a June session of city council.

http://www.mytowncrier.ca/story-17560-1-1.html

The Town Crier Group of Community Newspapers / www.MyTownCrier.ca

Another Publication © Multimedia Nova Corporation 2009

 

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NEWS May 2011!!! http://casalomatrust.ca/2011/05/31/news-alert/ Tue, 31 May 2011 18:38:05 +0000 http://casalomatrust.ca/wp/?p=49 Links to:
Kiwanis Club Gives Up Operation of Casa Loma Globe and Mail – May 16/2011
City to take over Casa Loma from Kiwanis Club Toronto Star – May 17/2011
City deciding on the future of Casa Loma this month May 2011 – City Post Magazine

City Report to Terminate Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma Lease

 

City Council votes June 14/11 Casa Loma transition approved by Mayor Ford Exec. Comm. May 24/11Read the rest

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Links to:
Kiwanis Club Gives Up Operation of Casa Loma Globe and Mail – May 16/2011
City to take over Casa Loma from Kiwanis Club Toronto Star – May 17/2011
City deciding on the future of Casa Loma this month May 2011 – City Post Magazine

City Report to Terminate Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma Lease

 

City Council votes June 14/11 Casa Loma transition approved by Mayor Ford Exec. Comm. May 24/11

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May-16-2011 Globe and Mail – Kiwanis Club gives up operation of Casa Loma http://casalomatrust.ca/2011/05/16/kiwanis-club-gives-up-operation-of-casa-loma/ Mon, 16 May 2011 18:44:39 +0000 http://casalomatrust.ca/wp/?p=54 ELIZABETH CHURCH
From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail
Published Monday, May. 16, 2011 12:00AM EDT
After three-quarters of a century, the Kiwanis Club is ready to let someone else worry about polishing the armour and sweeping the stables at Toronto’s Casa Loma. It has agreed to hand over operations of the city-owned tourist attraction in return for more than $1.4-million for the paintings, furniture and other artifacts and trademarks it will leave behind. 

More related to this story

The deal, to be presented next week to the city’s executive committee, would set up a new corporation and board to manage the rambling mansion and develop a long-term strategy for the five-acre site. If approved by council, the pact will be the latest twist in a years-long debate over how to make the most of the massive property that has struggled

Read the rest
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ELIZABETH CHURCH
From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail
Published Monday, May. 16, 2011 12:00AM EDT
After three-quarters of a century, the Kiwanis Club is ready to let someone else worry about polishing the armour and sweeping the stables at Toronto’s Casa Loma. It has agreed to hand over operations of the city-owned tourist attraction in return for more than $1.4-million for the paintings, furniture and other artifacts and trademarks it will leave behind. 

More related to this story

The deal, to be presented next week to the city’s executive committee, would set up a new corporation and board to manage the rambling mansion and develop a long-term strategy for the five-acre site. If approved by council, the pact will be the latest twist in a years-long debate over how to make the most of the massive property that has struggled to pull in visitors, especially since the recession. It also brokers an amiable end to the sometimes troubled partnership between the city and the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma. Just three years ago, the club battled hard to win a new 20-year management contract, only to have questions raised about that deal last summer. “There is a unique set of skills that is required to run a castle in a modern environment,” said Councillor Joe Mihevc, an ex-officio member of Casa Loma’s board. “A service club might not have that expertise. I think there is a recognition that we have to up the game.” Asked about the feud that erupted last summer, which led the city to demand the Casa Loma board chair’s resignation, Mr. Mihevc said those differences have been worked out. He hopes a new management deal will see the terraces and halls built by tycoon Sir Henry Pellatt some 100 years ago filled with corporate events and weddings at night as well as tourists and local school children by day. “It’s just got to be a place where Toronto plays,” he said. In recent years, managers of the landmark have strained to extend its reach and compete for precious tourist dollars. Visits during the first three months of 2011 fell by 6 per cent compared to a year earlier. Casa Loma board chair Richard Wozenilek, whose law firm was at the centre of a dispute over billings last summer, said Tuesday that the allegations, made by former mayor David Miller, were never substantiated and played no role in negotiations to cut short the management contract. “What happened last summer has nothing to do with what is going before city council,” he said. “I am still chair and the then mayor is no longer mayor.” Talks for the Kiwanis Club to bow out of its management duties began in December after Rob Ford was elected, he said. The change of heart by the club to end its 20-year deal follows a drop in revenue and visitors during the recession. The demographics of the club’s members was also a factor, said Mr. Wozenilek, who has led the Casa Loma board for two decades. “A lot of its members are quite frankly tired after 75 years of operation,” he said. Under the terms of the deal, the Kiwanis Club will be allowed to hold weekly meetings at the mansion free of charge and up to five charitable events each year. It also will be given free office space and the city will put up a plaque to honour the club’s long history with the building. All existing employment and service contracts will be honoured, and the Kiwanis Club will work with the city during a four-month transition period. The agreement is expected to go before city council in June. Mr. Mihevc said he hopes the new corporation and board will be in place some time next year. The new board will decide how Casa Loma will be managed, he said.

44 comments Actually, the original owner was driven into receivership after the government stole the rights to the waterworks and energy projects that he built from him. It was probably the biggest crime in Canada’s history, and hardy anyone acknowledges it. He was the one of the city’s most generous benefactors, and this broke the man. Very sad.

 

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May-16-2011 The Star – City to take over Casa Loma from Kiwanis Club http://casalomatrust.ca/2011/05/16/city-to-take-over-casa-loma-from-kiwanis-club-may-1611/ Mon, 16 May 2011 17:17:57 +0000 http://casalomatrust.ca/wp/?p=306 Article from the Toronto Star: City to take over Casa Loma from Kiwanis Club Published On Mon May 16 2011
Daniel Dale
Urban Affairs Reporter

The city has agreed to take control of Casa Loma from the Kiwanis Club, ending a prolonged power struggle with the charity that has run the struggling tourist attraction since 1937.

As part of a negotiated takeover agreement that must still be approved by council, the city will pay the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma $1.45 million for artifacts and trademarks such as the Casa Loma name. That amount is a $500,000 premium over the $950,000 the city already owed for the artifacts under a previous agreement.

The city plans to run the century-old facility for 12 to 18 months before turning it over to a third party, said economic development and culture general manager Mike Williams, who will likely become the new board chair.

The proposed

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Article from the Toronto Star: City to take over Casa Loma from Kiwanis Club Published On Mon May 16 2011
Daniel Dale
Urban Affairs Reporter

The city has agreed to take control of Casa Loma from the Kiwanis Club, ending a prolonged power struggle with the charity that has run the struggling tourist attraction since 1937.

As part of a negotiated takeover agreement that must still be approved by council, the city will pay the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma $1.45 million for artifacts and trademarks such as the Casa Loma name. That amount is a $500,000 premium over the $950,000 the city already owed for the artifacts under a previous agreement.

The city plans to run the century-old facility for 12 to 18 months before turning it over to a third party, said economic development and culture general manager Mike Williams, who will likely become the new board chair.

The proposed takeover comes less than three years after the city signed a 20-year contract with Kiwanis. Though an advisory committee recommended that the contract be tendered, former mayor David Miller and council supported the no-bid Kiwanis deal. Miller later said he had made a mistake.

Frosty for much of the last decade, the relationship between the city and Kiwanis became especially contentious in 2010. Miller and city staff blamed the club for failing to complete renovations, and Miller unsuccessfully demanded the removal of board chair Richard Wozenilek after his law firm billed Casa Loma tens of thousands in fees.

Williams said suggestions of Kiwanis mismanagement were “probably harsh.” He and Kiwanis president Mark Brogden said the club simply did not have enough money to pay for improvements.

“This agreement with the city wasn’t struck because of the club’s inability to manage the castle,” Brogden said. “We have done that for the last 75 years, and we’ve done it quite profitably both for the club and the city. It’s more a question of the facility needing some extensive capital investment, something the club is not really in a position to do.”

The city’s goal, according to a report released Monday, is to “stabilize” Casa Loma while developing a long-term plan.

Though the former mansion of businessman Sir Henry Pellatt remains one of Toronto’s most popular tourist attractions, it has failed to keep pace with its competitors — Williams said it has “an elevator that looks like it’s about a thousand years old” — and failed to develop compelling reasons for GTA residents to make more than one visit. Visits from American tourists have dropped since the onset of the U.S. recession, and annual attendance has fallen about 5 per cent per year over the last five years to 280,000.

At present, Williams said, Casa Loma is “a single-visit site unless you’re going for a special event like a wedding or something like that. And single-visit sites — it’s a hard time to raise your attendance. You’re not getting more visitors from outside of Canada, so we have to get people that are already here to come more often.”

Wozenilek, board chair since 1991, said the decision to relinquish control was sad and difficult for Kiwanis members. But he called it a “win-win for Kiwanis and the city.”

Councillor Joe Mihevc, a non-voting board member, also praised the deal. He said Casa Loma would best be governed, like other leading cultural institutions, by “people with very serious skill sets,” including experts in tourism promotion, event planning and heritage preservation.

Trelawny Howell, a great-grandniece of Pellatt who has been fiercely critical of Kiwanis, applauded the takeover but said the city should not be paying for the artifacts and trademarks. They never actually belonged to Kiwanis, she said.

Williams acknowledged “differences of opinion” on who owns the Casa Loma name. He said the city decided to pay for it in part because it sought to reach an “amicable” solution; it needed Kiwanis to agree to a contract buyout.

 

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May-16-2011 Globe and Mail – Kiwanis Club gives up operation of Casa Loma http://casalomatrust.ca/2011/05/16/kiwanis-club-gives-up-operation-of-casa-loma-may-1611/ Mon, 16 May 2011 16:49:47 +0000 http://casalomatrust.ca/wp/?p=293

ELIZABETH CHURCH

From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail
Published Monday, May. 16, 2011 12:00AM EDT
After three-quarters of a century, the Kiwanis Club is ready to let someone else worry about polishing the armour and sweeping the stables at Toronto’s Casa Loma. It has agreed to hand over operations of the city-owned tourist attraction in return for more than $1.4-million for the paintings, furniture and other artifacts and trademarks it will leave behind.

More related to this story

The deal, to be presented next week to the city’s executive committee, would set up a new corporation and board to manage the rambling mansion and develop a long-term strategy for the five-acre site. If approved by council, the pact will be the latest twist in a years-long debate over how to make the most of the massive property that has struggled

Read the rest
]]>

ELIZABETH CHURCH

From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail
Published Monday, May. 16, 2011 12:00AM EDT
After three-quarters of a century, the Kiwanis Club is ready to let someone else worry about polishing the armour and sweeping the stables at Toronto’s Casa Loma. It has agreed to hand over operations of the city-owned tourist attraction in return for more than $1.4-million for the paintings, furniture and other artifacts and trademarks it will leave behind.

More related to this story

The deal, to be presented next week to the city’s executive committee, would set up a new corporation and board to manage the rambling mansion and develop a long-term strategy for the five-acre site. If approved by council, the pact will be the latest twist in a years-long debate over how to make the most of the massive property that has struggled to pull in visitors, especially since the recession. It also brokers an amiable end to the sometimes troubled partnership between the city and the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma. Just three years ago, the club battled hard to win a new 20-year management contract, only to have questions raised about that deal last summer. “There is a unique set of skills that is required to run a castle in a modern environment,” said Councillor Joe Mihevc, an ex-officio member of Casa Loma’s board. “A service club might not have that expertise. I think there is a recognition that we have to up the game.” Asked about the feud that erupted last summer, which led the city to demand the Casa Loma board chair’s resignation, Mr. Mihevc said those differences have been worked out. He hopes a new management deal will see the terraces and halls built by tycoon Sir Henry Pellatt some 100 years ago filled with corporate events and weddings at night as well as tourists and local school children by day. “It’s just got to be a place where Toronto plays,” he said. In recent years, managers of the landmark have strained to extend its reach and compete for precious tourist dollars. Visits during the first three months of 2011 fell by 6 per cent compared to a year earlier. Casa Loma board chair Richard Wozenilek, whose law firm was at the centre of a dispute over billings last summer, said Tuesday that the allegations, made by former mayor David Miller, were never substantiated and played no role in negotiations to cut short the management contract. “What happened last summer has nothing to do with what is going before city council,” he said. “I am still chair and the then mayor is no longer mayor.” Talks for the Kiwanis Club to bow out of its management duties began in December after Rob Ford was elected, he said. The change of heart by the club to end its 20-year deal follows a drop in revenue and visitors during the recession. The demographics of the club’s members was also a factor, said Mr. Wozenilek, who has led the Casa Loma board for two decades. “A lot of its members are quite frankly tired after 75 years of operation,” he said. Under the terms of the deal, the Kiwanis Club will be allowed to hold weekly meetings at the mansion free of charge and up to five charitable events each year. It also will be given free office space and the city will put up a plaque to honour the club’s long history with the building. All existing employment and service contracts will be honoured, and the Kiwanis Club will work with the city during a four-month transition period. The agreement is expected to go before city council in June. Mr. Mihevc said he hopes the new corporation and board will be in place some time next year. The new board will decide how Casa Loma will be managed, he said.

44 comments Actually, the original owner was driven into receivership after the government stole the rights to the waterworks and energy projects that he built from him. It was probably the biggest crime in Canada’s history, and hardy anyone acknowledges it. He was the one of the city’s most generous benefactors, and this broke the man. Very sad.

 

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Oct-2010 Annex Gleaner – Howell defends her lineage http://casalomatrust.ca/2010/10/15/howell-defends-her-lineage-oct-2010/ Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:49:31 +0000 http://casalomatrust.ca/wp/?p=558 Read the rest

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Aug-10-2010 The Star – Getting to know the King of Casa Loma http://casalomatrust.ca/2010/08/10/getting-to-know-the-king-of-casa-loma-aug-1010/ Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:41:48 +0000 http://casalomatrust.ca/wp/?p=523 Sir Henry Pellatt lived in a world unto himself: lavish, bombastic and out of touch with Toronto
No statue was erected to the man, no arena named for him, no postage stamp printed in his honor.

If you screamed “Sir Henry Pellatt!” down Yonge St., almost nobody would recognize the name.

Rich out of all proportion, he built Canada’s largest private home – now one of Toronto’s top tourist landmarks – yet he remains almost anonymous. Why?

A reading of Sir Henry Pellatt: The King of Casa Loma, a 1982 biography by Toronto writer Charlie Oreskovich, suggests the man lived apart from the city’s true development and primarily for his own self-aggrandizement.

Champion runner: In 1879, at the age of 20, Pellatt ran the mile in New York, beating the U.S. champion and setting a world record at 4:42.4. That same year, however, Toronto’s Edward “Ned” Hanlon captured the English championship in the far more popular sport of sculling, and

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Sir Henry Pellatt lived in a world unto himself: lavish, bombastic and out of touch with Toronto
No statue was erected to the man, no arena named for him, no postage stamp printed in his honor.

If you screamed “Sir Henry Pellatt!” down Yonge St., almost nobody would recognize the name.

Rich out of all proportion, he built Canada’s largest private home – now one of Toronto’s top tourist landmarks – yet he remains almost anonymous. Why?

A reading of Sir Henry Pellatt: The King of Casa Loma, a 1982 biography by Toronto writer Charlie Oreskovich, suggests the man lived apart from the city’s true development and primarily for his own self-aggrandizement.

Champion runner: In 1879, at the age of 20, Pellatt ran the mile in New York, beating the U.S. champion and setting a world record at 4:42.4. That same year, however, Toronto’s Edward “Ned” Hanlon captured the English championship in the far more popular sport of sculling, and the next year clinched the world title.

Eye for beauty: Pellatt married Mary Dodgson in 1882 and commissioned an artist to depict the back of her head. He found the nape of her neck exquisite, he explained. Unfortunately, Lady Pellatt suffered chronic poor health. She died at 67 in 1924, the year they were forced out of Casa Loma.

Hydro-electric visionary: In 1903, Pellatt and two partners won exclusive rights to generate the first large-scale hydro-electric power for Toronto at Niagara Falls. Public opinion was against private ownership of water power, however, and in 1906 the province claimed the resource on behalf of all Ontarians.

Lavish patron: Pellatt saw himself not only as king of his castle, but also as commander of his own army, the Queen’s Own Rifles. At the time it was a reserve company unarmed, untrained and without uniforms. Showering money on the unit, Pellatt lifted it to a respectable outfit that formed part of Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee honor guard and achieved other distinctions. The public viewed Pellatt’s generosity as self-serving, however, and never recognized him as a philanthropist.

Top financier: In 1913, Pellatt was said to rank among 23 stock-market investors who controlled the Canadian economy. He achieved success, however, by manipulating stocks unethically. A public inquiry into the insurance industry found him in conflict of interest and clarified the law to limit his dealings. Castle builder: Between 1911 and 1914, the construction of Pellatt’s hilltop house, with its 30 bathrooms, drew little media or public interest. “It just did not fit into the Toronto world,” Oreskovich writes. After 10 years, Pellatt was in tax arrears and the city forced him out. He died with $85 to his name.

Credit: John Goddard Toronto Star

Caption: A champion runner, Pellatt won several athletic prizes by age 20. Sir Henry Pellatt in Aldershot, England, with members of the Queens Own Rifles. The self-bought army reserve led to the British knighthood in 1905. Courtesy of Casa Loma

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Aug-3-2010 Globe and Mail – Kiwanis rejects city’s demand to fire Casa Loma chair http://casalomatrust.ca/2010/08/03/kiwanis-rejects-citys-demand-to-fire-casa-loma-chair-aug-310/ Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:06:58 +0000 http://casalomatrust.ca/wp/?p=570 By Kelly Grant
From Wednesday’s Globe and Mail
August 3, 2010

 

Service club risks being evicted from castle as deadline passes

The Kiwanis Club is refusing to fire the chair of Casa Loma’s board, a move that could lead the city to evict the service organization from the castle.

Council set a deadline of July 31 for the Kiwanis Club – which has operated the interior of the city-owned attraction since 1937 – to replace Richard Wozenilek, a lawyer who allegedly directed $218,938 in castle legal work to himself over 18 months.

But the deadline has passed and Kiwanis has decided to back Mr. Wozenilek.

“The Kiwanis Club continues to maintain its full support behind Mr. Wozenilek as chair of the Casa Loma Board, and it understands the members of the Board also fully support him,” Joachim Gerschkow, the president of the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma, said in a statement Tuesday.

At the beginning of July, council ordered … Read the rest

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By Kelly Grant
From Wednesday’s Globe and Mail
August 3, 2010

 

Service club risks being evicted from castle as deadline passes

The Kiwanis Club is refusing to fire the chair of Casa Loma’s board, a move that could lead the city to evict the service organization from the castle.

Council set a deadline of July 31 for the Kiwanis Club – which has operated the interior of the city-owned attraction since 1937 – to replace Richard Wozenilek, a lawyer who allegedly directed $218,938 in castle legal work to himself over 18 months.

But the deadline has passed and Kiwanis has decided to back Mr. Wozenilek.

“The Kiwanis Club continues to maintain its full support behind Mr. Wozenilek as chair of the Casa Loma Board, and it understands the members of the Board also fully support him,” Joachim Gerschkow, the president of the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma, said in a statement Tuesday.

At the beginning of July, council ordered Casa Loma’s operators to clean up their act. It demanded that Casa Loma’s board meet monthly; that Kiwanis develop a revised financial plan; that a joint working group be established so the castle can begin to meet its goals; and that Mr. Wozenilek be replaced.

City manager Joe Pennachetti said at the time that Kiwanis had agreed to all the conditions except ditching Mr. Wozenilek.

A lengthy staff report accused the club of blowing deadlines and failing to make scheduled payments to the city. The club disputed most of the allegations.

“Council is not looking for a fight here,” said Councillor Joe Mihevc, an ex-officio member of the Casa Loma board. “Council is looking to build Casa Loma to become the jewel it could and should be.”

Kiwanis now wants an independent mediator brought in.

“While we do not agree with any of the city’s unfounded allegations, we look forward to getting on with the dispute resolution process in good faith,” Mr. Gerschkow said.

In previous interviews, Mr. Wozenilek has argued he did nothing wrong in acting as both the volunteer chair of Casa Loma’s board and its lawyer. He said he never hid the fact he did legal work for the castle, a practice the Casa Loma board has since halted.

He declined comment on Tuesday, referring questions to Mr. Gershkow.

 

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