Shib issue: (Y Five unique, cost-effective foods to grill this summer (Y Stop HIV & hep C now: (Y The Other Brew: Summer Fun Edition And more! The story of the Casa Loma » Man drowns in a sea of debt Margaret Matthews Columnist en I first arrived in Canada, I was eager to explore my new home and visit the many historical sights and scenes that Canada has to offer its tourists and residents. As | pored over some of the travel brochures, one of the historical settings that intrigued me was for “house on the hill”), which sprawls over five acres of land and is situated in Toronto. In delving into the history of this Gothic Revival structure, I learned that the man behind the vision in constructing this named Henry Pellatt—a man : whose fall from riches can teach : > usa few lessons about finances. Born in Ontario to British : parents, Pellatt displayed : impressive determination from : ayoung age. At 17, he joined his : father’s stock brokerage firm, : and purchased stock in the ? Canadian Pacific Railroad, and : the North-West Land Company. : CasaLoma.org describes him as ; having the Midas touch—every °’ _ : business venture of his was so the famous Casa Loma (Spanish : successful that he soon became : over-confident in his financial : success. Pellatt was inspired by : delicate French architecture, : furniture, and furnishings : while vacationing in Europe. : : . _? His aesthetic vision became gigantic mansion was a financier : a dream, and eventually a : reality. Construction of Casa Loma, designed by architect : E.J. Lennox, commenced in 191 : and continued for three years, : employing 300 workers with : some artisans imported from : Europe, at a net cost of $3.5 : million. Pellatt got carried away : by his imagination, and kept : adding more and more rooms and structures. In the end, his expenditures far exceeded his : original plans. I had the opportunity to : visit Casa Loma, which is nowa : tourist attraction owned by the : City of Toronto. The mansion : itself contains 98 spacious : rooms, and the unfinished basement even contains a : bowling alley and shooting : range (Pellatt was a knighted : rifleman). The vast property : contains a hunting lodge, Have an idea for a story? Let us know! Contact: Sophie Isbister, Life & Style Editor Mlifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca www. theotherpress.ca : acres of gardens, and servants’ : quarters, among many other : features such as vintage cars from the early 1900s. After World War I and : before the Great Depression, : Pellatt’s fortune took a drastic : tumble. Because of his lavish : spending, as well as his and : Lady Pellatt’s philanthropy : to charitable causes (Grace : Hospital, Trinity College, St. John’s Ambulance Brigade in : Canada, Girl Guides), Pellatt’s ; money turned to ashes. He : could not pay his property taxes : to the City of Toronto, and : eventually filed for bankruptcy. : With great sorrow and : trepidation the Pellatts left their : mansion and their high society : lifestyle, and in a reversal of the : typical “rags to riches” story, : moved toa farm to live the : rest of their lives as ordinary > Canadians. As I left Casa Loma, with : its several unfinished rooms : and architecture, I wondered : why Pellatt’s brilliant mind did : not foresee the recession. Why : didn’t he make provisions for a : rainy day? In hindsight, it was : too late. History exists so we : can learn from it, and I learned : many valuable lessons from : Pellatt’s oversight: that I should : live within my means, not go overboard on lavish spending, ; never get into debt, and set : aside a certain amount of money : each month to be invested so : there is something to fall back : on in case of another recession or World War. The gluten report » The yeas and nays of gluten PY Julia Siedlanowska | Staff Writer I seems increasingly that like talking about their religion; up in a meat-eating family, jokes “She’s one of those,’ they would say, rolling their eyes. One relative who went on a raw food diet received similar criticism. But with increasing awareness about the benefits of such diets, it seems they have won a certain kind of acceptance. Now the gluten-free trend is undergoing a similar emancipation. With acceptance comes backlash. Lately people who choose to restrict gluten from their diet seem to be getting a lot of negative attention. The mere fact that gluten-free is referred to asa “trend” reveals some derision, and the recent Jimmy Kimmel skit on gluten isn't helping. In May, Kimmel questioned the validity of the war on gluten, saying that “in LA [gluten is] comparable to Satanism.” He asked four pedestrians who maintain a gluten-free diet the simple : question: “What is gluten?” After : : none of them could answer, the : joke was on them—and many of : : the other people ona gluten-free : : diet. : Just in case Kimmel catches : ea... 2 you off guard on your next trip talking about someone's diet is : ™ . “ 8 : to LA, gluten is defined as “a wy wo vs ., + substance present in cereal its personal, its sensitive, and it’s : : : +4. . ? grains—especially wheat—that often secretly ridiculed. Growing : ° . . : is responsible for the elastic : : texture of dough.” Gluten is about vegetarians were prevalent, : : : especially from my grandparents. : harmful to people with celiac P Y vs P " + disease, a condition that causes : adamaging response in the : intestines of those afflicted, : preventing their bodies from : absorbing vital nutrients. I’m almost certain that Kimmel had no intention : of offending people with : celiac disease, or other gluten : intolerants; however, popular : bloggers suchas Gluten Dude : felt Kimmel’s skit was damaging. : : While I honestly thought it was: : hilarious, I soon realized that my : : patience for people with gluten- } : intolerance had decreased. I : found myself dismissing and : judging people who asked : about gluten-free options, as : if their problems weren't real. : This was an unfair reaction on : my part, because while many : : people who eat gluten-free aren't! : diagnosed celiac, they may have : wheat-allergies or -sensitivities : that cause symptoms such : as fatigue, joint pain, and diarrhea. Although it can be : tricky to diagnose, dismissing : the problem isn’t going to help anyone gain awareness. It’s true that people should : study their diet choices, and it’s : always safer to be knowledgeable : : incase of late night talkshow : ambushes, but people shouldn't : need to explain themselves. A : personwho hopsontoatrend — : : without understanding it can be : : annoying and can misrepresent : the many other people in the : group, but this only illuminates : the greater problem: a lack of : education. Kimmel, in addition : to offending a lot of people : suffering from celiac disease and : : gluten- or wheat-intolerances, — : : pointed out a lack of knowledge. : : I was inspired to do my own : : research, and was happy to find : that many people actually have been gluten-free long before the : so-called “gluten-free trend.” : This isa real problem, and the : only thing that discredits it is : alack of research from people jumping on the bandwagon. Lately people who choose to restrict gluten from their diet seem to be getting a lot of negative attention.