Samuel Levy (1L)
When pitching U of T Law to its valued prospects, a ubiquitous selling point is the city itself. However, I gave little heed as a certain admissions director spoke about life in Toronto, contemplating instead how much of this “life” one could readily experience from the sooty window of the Bora Laskin Library; I doubted I’d have the chance to “see Toronto” at all.
I changed my mind.
Toronto is cementing its reputation as a truly global city. Bolstered by multiculturalism, commerce, world-class education institutions (ahem) and a reputation that can surely be described as ‘resilient,’ the city emits a palpable energy of a society on the rise. Just this year Toronto, the 4th largest city in North America, was also ranked 4th on the Economist’s list of most liveable cities in the world. In short, it’s a city worth seeing, even if only for a study break. I hope that this feature can be a way to highlight some of the great activities in Toronto, as I familiarize myself with the city as well. First up is the revitalized Casa Loma, located at Spadina and Davenport.
Casa Loma (Spanish for “Hill House”) began as the vision of Canadian energy mogul, Sir Henry Pellatt. He started work on the Gothic-style castle in 1911, completing it in 1914 with famous Canadian architect E.J. Lennox (of ‘Old City Hall’ fame). The prized property went under the management of the Kiwanis club in 1937 – after Pellatt’s financial demise during WW1 – where it remained a relatively stable tourist destination for 84 years. This January however (after three years of negotiation), the management reigns passed to Toronto’s Liberty Entertainment Group, a company who also manages the historic ‘Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex,’ ‘Rosewater’ and ‘Courthouse’ venues. New Casa Loma President Catherine Bridgman maintains that the group’s track record of managing historical buildings made them a natural fit for Casa Loma:
“We want to fulfill the vision of Sir Henry. He wanted it to be one of the great homes of high society, where you could entertain and host royalty, diplomats, and VIPs from Canada and the British Isles.”
“The City was looking for someone who could breath life into the programming, and bring Casa Loma back to Torontonians.”
And in just nine months, the group has done just that. With an up-front investment of $7.4 million, Bridgman’s team has meticulously restored the castle and the beautiful gardens surrounding it – “making it as beautiful as it possibly could be.” They have added a space for rotating exhibits on Toronto’s history, and made plans for a gourmet steakhouse where professionals and families alike can escape the city and dine under the stars. Taking a page from Sir Henry himself, the group started a hugely successful concert series, ‘Symphony in the Garden,’ in partnership with the acclaimed Toronto Concert Orchestra. I went to their final performance on September 3, and was blown away by the music, the glitzy setting, and the diverse cross-section of the city that attended; it was Toronto at its best.
Bridgman also believes Casa Loma is important to Toronto’s international emergence. She states:
“We have a great relationship with Tourism Toronto, [whose] goal is to position Toronto as a world-class city.”
The new management has been actively promoting the venue’s international appeal as well. On June 26, during World Pride in Toronto, Casa Loma hosted the largest same-sex wedding in North American history. 120 couples, several from countries where same-sex marriage is not yet legalized, tied the knot in a ceremony officiated by ministers from 12 faiths.
Other initiatives include an exhibit on the Toronto International Film Festival, and hosting Princess Marconi of Italy, when she met the spouse of the Prime Minister Loreen Harper during Italian Heritage Month.
With such amazing success in such a short amount of time, Casa Loma seems destined to regain the prominence, or rather pre-eminence, it boasted in Toronto’s early history. It also demonstrates that Torontonians are ready to embrace the idea of Toronto as an enviable global destination, now and in the future.
Casa Loma will be starting its Tuesday Concert Series beginning October 21. To find out more, contact me through Facebook, or check out http://www.casaloma.org/events.index.gk.
