“In 1812 the population of Toronto was 2,000. Today the Greater Metropolitan Area tops 3 1/2 million and is the 5th largest city in North America.
One of the big tourist attractions is Casa Loma (house on the hill), a “castle” with European influence built by architect E. J. Lennox between 1911 – 1914. Our guide said that Casa Loma was the home of Canadian financier Sir Henry Pellatt who designed a hydroelectric grid for Toronto and made millions of dollars; however, the city of Toronto took over the grid and eventually the castle leaving Henry with very little money.
The other city icon is the CN Tower built by Canadian National in 1976 to display the country’s industrial strength. I looked way up to see the revolving restaurant and viewing platforms. Our guide continued, “It still remains as one of the highest free standing buildings of the world, attracts over 2 million visitors annually, is located in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District and is a short walk from the Fairmont Royal York.”
