This plaque commemorates Major General Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, CVO, DCL, VD, The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada’s longest serving Commanding Officer and builder of Casa Loma, home of The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum and Archive which occupies a major part of the third floor of Casa Loma. Henry was born in Kingston, Ontario, on January 6, 1859. After high school, he joined his father’s firm and volunteered in The Queen’s Own Rifles enlisting 2 November 1876 as a rifleman.
He was a remarkable runner and by the age of 20, was the fastest ‘miler’ in all of North America. In his 20s he founded the Toronto Electric Light Company, appointed himself secretary and negotiated a deal to install arc lights in a small section of Toronto. Six years later, he held the contract to install all the street lighting for the entire city of Toronto! By 1892, Henry was in control of ‘Pellatt and Osler’ (his father having retired) and made a number of shrewd, very profitable investments. Henry had the means to see his dreams of owning a castle come true.
Henry rose through the ranks to command The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada from 1901-1920. At the time an extremely rich man, he was very generous to the regiment. In 1910, he personally financed a five-week trip for over 600 Queen’s Own personnel, plus officers’ horses, to sail to England to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada in 1860. The military exercises lasted from 13 August to 3 October. In 1910, he created the Companion of the Victorian Order (CVO).
Henry’s younger brother Mill Pellatt served with the regiment as a private in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s. His son Reginald also served in the Queen’s Own Rifles, becoming Commanding Officer (1925-1930) and Honorary Colonel (1951-1956). Henry was promoted to Major-General upon his retirement in 1921 from The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.
The First World War had serious effects on Henry’s businesses. By 1924, many of his business ventures had collapsed. He was $1.7 million in debt and his wife’s health was quickly fading, (she died the following year). Broken and penniless, Henry turned over his beloved Casa Loma to the City of Toronto.
His service of fifty years with The Queen’s Own Rifles was celebrated on 27 June 27 1926 with a march past 500 men complete with the circling overhead of three military planes. When he died on 8 March 1939, thousands lined Toronto streets for his funeral procession. He was buried with full military honours befitting a soldier who had given so much to his country.
Since 1970, Casa Loma has been the home of The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum and Archive.
