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Congratulations to the winners of the Trivia Game!
The first five people to send the correct response to last issue’s
trivia game were David Dowling, Genalyn Pellecchia, Karen Bowen,
Peter Mullen, and tied in fifth place, Winnie Chung and Kang
Chen. The photo was of the Casa Loma in Toronto. Thank you to
all the other participants who submitted their guesses.
It took three years, $3.5 million
and more than 300 workers to build Casa Loma between 1911 and
1914. With stately towers, soaring battlements, secret passageways
and sweeping terraces, the medieval-style castle is a product
of Sir Henry Pellatt's boyhood dreams.
Upon completion in 1914, at 98 rooms, it was the largest private
residence in North America. Notable amenities included an elevator,
an oven large enough to cook a steer, two vertical passages for
pipe organs, central vacuum, two secret passages in Sir Henry's
ground-floor office and three bowling alleys (never completed).
During the Depression, Toronto
increased Casa Loma's annual property taxes from $600 to $12,000
(this approximately translates to an increase from $6,000 to
$111,000 in today's currency), and Pellatt – already experiencing
financial difficulties – was forced to auction off $1.5 million
worth of art and furnishings for $250,000 during bankruptcy hearings.
Sir Henry was able to enjoy life in the castle for 10 years,
leaving in 1923.
Today it is Toronto's most glamorous
landmark and a magnificent legacy
of an extraordinary man. |
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