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Mark Guslits: Bringing affordable housing to Canada
By GERRY POSNER The Guslits name in Winnipeg is widely known. Just scratch a little and you will strike a Guslits descendent. One such Gusilts is none other then Mark Guslits, son of Max and Shirley (Shapera). Born in 1946, raised initially on Atlantic Avenue in Winnipeg’s north end and later on Montrose Street in River Heights, Mark is now old enough to recall when Montrose had newly planted trees, no lawns and milk delivered by horse and cart, but he’s still young enough to own a farm and work with his wife on it in Picton, Ontario. To get there, however, there were a few stops along the way.
Mark grew up in what might be called blessed times and had a group of good friends including: David Cherniack, Joel Greenberg, Morey Bubis, Cliff Corman, Richard Gurevich, Mark Schacter, Joey Hershfield and later, also Don Aronovitch and Brian Morris. He attended Montrose, Robert H. Smith, River Heights and Grant Park Schools before entering the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba in 1964. As he put it, he barely “looked up” until he graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Included in those six years was time off for travel in Europe and North Africa and work in the UK in the architect’s department of Guinness Brewery. Upon graduation, Mark moved back to England where he had more work with Guinness followed by a few years with a large London based architectural firm where he had the chance to work on the England/France Chunnel as well as Terminal 3 at Heathrow and a a large redevelopment project in Dubai. There are few Winnipeggers (as in none) who can make that statement. But likely the most significant event to occur to Mark during his England days was that he met his soon to be wife, also a Winnipegger – Carolyn Lecker(of the luminous Lecker family). They just celebrated 51 years of marriage.
In 1972, after their marriage, Mark and Carolyn moved to Vancouver and, once there, Carolyn opened a dance studio and Mark joined an architecture firm by the name of Sankey and Associates. That lasted until 1976 when the couple made the decision to return to Winnipeg. Mark joined with a former classmate of his, Eric Barker, to establish a firm called Barker and Guslits. They focussed on low income housing for the Manitoba provincial government. That focus became an integral part of Mark’s career, only in a different location. In Winnipeg, Mark and Carolyn became parents of their daughter Danielle, and not long after her birth, the family moved to Toronto where Mark began work with Harbourfront Cor-poration. Also at Harbourfront was another former Winnipegger, architect and schoolmate: Howard Cohen. Still committed to affordable housing, Mark soon joined a company called Lantana Non-Profit Homes, where he helped dozens of non-profit groups form housing co-ops. Then, in 1986, Mark teamed up with Mitchell Cohen, formerly from Regina, and Mark became a partner in the Daniels Group. This company was soon to become the largest private sector developer of affordable housing in Canada. The company was thriving until Mike Harris became Premier of Ontario and immediately stopped all social housing in the Province of Ontario.
Mark moved to the City of Toronto in 1997 to become head of housing for the City of Toronto. With his team, he built thousands of new affordable housing units. It seemed like a natural step then in 2002 for Mark to join the newly formed Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) as the Chief Development Officer. Five years later, the first phase of the 70 acre redevelopment of an inner city community known as Regent Park was completed and Mark returned to his first love, architecture, when he joined the Toronto office of HOK, a large US-based firm where he led a group responsible for the development of the Athlete’s Village for the 2015 Toronto Pan AM Summer Games.
For a large part of his career, Mark also was a teacher, first at was then Ryerson Polytechnic, later at George Brown College, and for the last eight years, at the University of Toronto – always focused on the theme of affordable housing and equable cities. This clearly is an area where Canada still struggles, and Mark was right in the mix in an area which cries out for help to this day. Guslits also consulted internationally on affordable housing in the UK, Ireland and South Africa. And, all the while, Mark Guslits has done it while dealing with mobility challenges resulting from his bout with childhood polio in Winnipeg in 1953 and a serious car accident in 1965. He walks with a limp and uses a cane now, but he still manages to scare his family daily using his electric mountain bike and scooter on the busy Toronto streets and back roads of Prince Edward County.
Mark (now semi retired) and Carolyn still retain an apartment in Toronto, but they live for the most part in Prince Edward County, 3 hours east of Toronto, where Carolyn tends to 23 beautiful gardens, also where she conducts workshops and holds concerts and art shows. They now have two grandchildren, Molly, 12, ands Zoey, 8, who live not far away with Mark and Carolyn’s daughter Danielle and son-in-law Dave. Mark and Carolyn are quite the package in the county, I say, and if you don’t believe me, come and check them out for yourself in person or on the web at wwwblackwalnutgardens.ca
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Volatility, Hit Frequency, and RTP: Why the Number Casinos Advertise Is the Least Useful One
The return to player percentage looks clean as a casino data point. It gives players a neat number, usually around 94% to 97% for many online slots, and that number feels easy to compare. A 96.5% game appears better than a 95.2% game. The problem starts when players treat RTP as a forecast for their next 50 spins or one evening.
You may find the RTP listed on slot pages on a leading online casino in Ontario, but the number only tells part of the story. Two games can share the same RTP and create different sessions: one may return small wins often, while the other may drain a balance before one bonus round changes everything.
The RTP Trap
Return to player (RTP) measures the theoretical share of total wagers a game returns across a very large number of rounds. In plain terms, a 96% RTP slot returns about $96 for every $100 wagered in the long run. That does not mean one player who deposits $100 should expect $96 back.
The trap sits in the word “theoretical.” RTP comes from the game’s math model. It works across huge samples, not personal sessions. A player can finish far above that percentage, far below it, or with nothing left after a short run of poor results.
Is it useless then? No, RTP can still help. It gives a baseline cost of play. Lower-RTP games cost more on average than higher-RTP games. Still, once a game passes a reasonable threshold, the next question matters more: how does it distribute that return?
Hit Frequency: The Number That Shapes Session Feel
Hit frequency tells you how often a game produces a winning outcome. This often misleads players because any win can count. A spin that returns $0.10 on a $1 bet may still count as a hit, even though the player lost $0.90 in real terms.
A game can feel active because symbols connect often, sounds play, and the screen keeps celebrating small returns. The balance may still fall. In many modern slots, “win” does not always mean profit on the spin.
Hit frequency answers one practical question: how much silence can you tolerate? Some players dislike long dry spells. Others accept quieter sessions because they chase bonus rounds or larger payouts.
The educational site Get Gambling Facts gives a useful distinction: RTP concerns the percentage of money returned over time, while hit frequency concerns how often a machine stops on a winning combination.
Volatility: The Risk Label Players Need More Often
Volatility, also called variance, describes how unevenly a game pays. Low-volatility games tend to return smaller amounts more often. High-volatility games hold more value in rare events: bonus rounds, premium symbols, multipliers, or jackpots.
Here is where RTP becomes less useful on its own:
- A 96% low-volatility slot may give modest returns and longer play from the same balance.
- A 96% high-volatility slot may burn through funds quickly unless the player hits a strong feature.
- A progressive jackpot game may look exciting, but it often places more value on rare top prizes.
The same RTP can hide very different risk profiles. Players who ignore volatility often blame the casino or the game when the session follows its math design.
Why the Same RTP Can Feel So Different
Picture two slots with 96% RTP. Slot A pays small wins on many spins, has a modest top prize, and rarely creates dramatic balance swings. Slot B pays less often but offers a large max win and volatile bonus rounds. The advertised return matches, but the experience does not.
Slot A may suit a player who wants a slower bankroll drop and more regular feedback. Slot B suits someone who accepts sharper losses in exchange for a shot at a heavier payout.
A Better Way to Read a Slot Page
Most slot pages give players more clues than they notice. The trick is to read the details together rather than chase the highest percentage.
Start with RTP. If two games look similar, the higher number has better long-term value. Then check volatility. If the game uses terms such as high, very high, or extreme variance, lower your bet size or expect shorter sessions. Next, look at the paytable. A huge max win usually means the game saves a lot of its value for rare outcomes.
A sensible pre-play check looks like this:
- RTP: What is the average long-term return?
- Volatility: How rough can the session become?
- Hit frequency: How often will the game show any wins?
- Paytable: Where does most value sit?
To Conclude
Casinos advertise RTP because it looks objective, tidy, and easy to rank. Players should read it, but they should not give it more authority than it deserves. For long sessions, volatility may matter more than a small RTP difference. For comfort, hit frequency may explain the feel better than the payback rate.
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The Popularity of Simpler Slot Games in 2026: Review From Casino Online CrazyTower Experts
Online casinos now fill their libraries with numerous video slots that have dozens of functions, long bonus rounds, complex mechanics, and so on. Interestingly, despite this huge range of modern options, many Canadian visitors at sites like Casino Online CrazyTower here https://crazytower.com/ca/ no longer want complicated gameplay that requires constant attention and long explanations.
Simpler slots now attract a wider audience because they save time and create faster sessions. So, let’s figure out why this change happened and reasons for the popularity of simpler machines.
Why Many Players Are Returning to Basic Gameplay
Modern websites like Casino Online CrazyTower pushed complex video slots for years, but many people now prefer classic formats again. Simple gameplay has fewer interruptions and is simpler in terms of budgeting, which is important when you gamble for fun.
These are a few potential reasons explain why simpler slots became popular again in 2026:
- Faster rounds. Symbols appear quickly, and rounds continue without long animations or extended bonus sequences.
- Easier controls. Most classic slots have simple menus and familiar layouts that don’t confuse new visitors.
- Smaller feature lists. Simple slots usually have standard wilds, scatters, and multipliers instead of dozens of random mechanics.
- Better session flow. People spend more time on gameplay instead of reading explanations about symbols and special functions.
- Lower visual pressure. Simpler slots use calmer designs and shorter effects that don’t overload attention.
Classic gameplay also suits mobile devices better because shorter rounds work well on smaller screens. Plus, many visitors now prefer games that start instantly and explain their mechanics within seconds.
Features That Make Simpler Slots Appealing
Simple machines at Casino Online CrazyTower and similar websites continue to attract attention because they have a high gameplay speed. Many classic titles also replicate older casino machines that people already know from physical casinos.
However, these aren’t the only factors that attract gamblers. So, check out this list:
- Short bonus rounds. Free spins and multipliers finish quickly instead of interrupting gameplay for several minutes.
- Common and standard paylines. Traditional layouts help people understand payouts without long explanations.
- Faster loading times. Simpler graphics reduce waiting time on phones, tablets, and older computers.
- Stable gameplay pace. Long cutscenes and constant pop-up notifications don’t interrupt the session.
- Traditional themes. Fruit symbols, bars, sevens, and classic casino designs still attract large audiences.
- Smaller menus. Important information appears immediately without complicated tabs or hidden sections.
Modern video slots often contain too many mechanics in a single game. Developers now combine expanding reels, random modifiers, mission systems, tournaments, and multiple bonus levels in one title. Many visitors lose interest because gameplay turns repetitive and overloaded with constant interruptions.
Compare this to a session when you get results immediately and aren’t interrupted. These still have free spins and even mini risk games, but not as loaded as innovative titles.
Conclusion
Simple slots usually create better replay value because people understand the mechanics immediately. Common and standard gameplay doesn’t cause frustration and allows faster decisions during casino sessions.
Many classic slots also function better during short breaks because rounds finish quickly without long bonus interruptions. That’s why simpler slots became popular again at many casinos, including Casino Online CrazyTower and such.
