Small Town Royalty in Toronto’s Royal Places in Toronto

All but one of you may not necessarily be royalty (yes Queen Elizabeth does frequent this website) but I’m know for certain that the rest of you loyal subjects of her majesty have dreamt of living in a castle. I’m sure it would have been the blissful romantic paradise that you have always imagined, at least, on the outside, but it’s interior promises ample nooks and crannies for dust and unwanted guests. 

Though castle building and royalty may seem like such a European indulgence, Toronto’s got one too so I guess there’s no reason to travel. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Right around the the time that everyone had stopped building them, destroying them or turning existing ones into museums, the trend caught on in Toronto. We’re a bit slow here in Canada.

Sir Henry Pellat of Toronto started building this castle in 1911 and is remembered as an early leader of the Hydro-Electric Commission in Ontario just when electricity was becoming fashionable and being knighted. He was able to earn enough to fashion this iconic building until sky rocketing income tax rates from $600 to $1000/mo during the ensuing post-WWI depression. The gained a cool new landmark for a cool $27,000 and Sir Henry Pellat had to auctioned off most of his possessions. Projects like his dream roman style bath were unfortunately abandoned and never completed by the city. However, the concrete looks like it was the result of a fine pour.

I don’t regret choosing to live in a 550 sq-ft 1 Bedroom apartment. Nor does visiting make it feel any smaller. I feel that my cozy arrangement is just the right size for the amount of dust bunnies and undesirable guests I need at this stage of my life.