Henry Pellatt

Sir Henry Mill Pellatt was a Canadian financier and soldier born on January 6, 1859, and passed away on March 8, 1939. He played an important role in bringing hydro-electricity to Toronto for the very first time. His grand château in Toronto, known as Casa Loma, became one of the city's most famous landmarks. Casa Loma was the largest private home ever built in Canada.

Pellatt also had a summer home and farm in King City, Ontario, which later became the Marylake Augustinian Monastery. He was a strong supporter of the Boy Scouts of Canada, and his first wife, Mary, was the first Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guides of Canada.

Early life and family

Henry Pellatt was born in Kingston, Canada West (now Ontario). His father, Henry Pellatt, was a stockbroker from Glasgow, and his mother was Emma Mary Pellatt. He grew up with three sisters and two brothers. One brother worked for the Toronto Electric Light Company.

Pellatt went to Upper Canada College and later joined his father's stock brokerage company. He became a full member of the stock exchange after his father partnered with another businessman. Pellatt married Mary Dodgson in 1882, and after she passed away, he married Catharine Welland Merritt in 1927. He had one son named Reginald Pellatt, who became a Colonel.

Military service and honours

Pellatt began his military career as a rifleman with The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada on November 2, 1876, and worked his way up to become the Commanding Officer. In 1905, King Edward VII honored him as a Knight Bachelor for his service.

In 1910, to celebrate the regiment's 50th anniversary, Pellatt brought the entire 600-member regiment, including horses, to England for training exercises that lasted from August 13 to October 3, all paid for by him. After retiring, he became the regiment's Honorary Colonel and was promoted to Major-General. He was also made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1910 and served as the Knight Principal of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor from 1911 to 1923.

Later years

Henry Pellatt made his money by investing in railways and hydroelectric power in Canada, including the Toronto Electric Light Company. He also invested in the Cobalt Lake Mining Company during the Cobalt silver rush in 1903. Later, around 1915, he used money from this investment to support the new McIntyre Mines in Timmins, Ontario.

However, a politician named Adam Beck started a movement saying that hydroelectric power should be free for everyone. Through laws and public opinion, Beck took control of Pellatt’s electric companies. Beck also raised the taxes on Pellatt’s castle, Casa Loma, from $600 a year to $12,000. These financial pressures, along with unsuccessful real estate investments during the First World War, forced Pellatt and his wife to leave Casa Loma in 1923 and move to their farm at Marylake in King City.

Pellatt passed away on March 8, 1939. Many people honored him during his funeral, and he was buried at Forest Lawn Mausoleum north of Toronto. His life was later featured in a film called The Pellatt Newsreel, shown at Casa Loma, narrated by Colin Mochrie. Several books have been written about him, including The King of Casa Loma. A website dedicated to his memory, CasaLomaTrust.ca, is maintained by a relative.