The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Monday, June 29, 2026
The Atlas Obscura Podcast explores the story of Sir Henry Pellatt, a wealthy Canadian businessman who built Casa Loma, a grand castle in Toronto. Despite its opulent design and innovative features, Pellatt faced financial ruin due to his investments and changing economic conditions, ultimately losing the estate and dying in poverty.
“So Casa Loma, it's our castle on the hill. It's like the fanciest building in Toronto. Or maybe Drake's house.”
“So the trouble started around World War I. A lot of Henry's investments were in real estate. He'd buy and sell land. And a lot of his deals were funded by loans. And during World War I, people stopped buying as much property, and suddenly he was stuck with all this land and loans that had come due.”
“And in 1922, the province took his company's. And with his businesses collapsing all around him, he just he couldn't afford the castle anymore. So the next year, he and Mary auctioned off their possessions and moved out. And then the city officially seized Casa Loma for unpaid taxes.”