The Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Located in the heart of Toronto's downtown, the Legislative Building at Queen's Park has been the meeting place for Ontario's provincial parliament since 1893. The impressive building is the fifth home for the Legislative Assembly since the province was created, as Upper Canada, in 1792.

The Legislative Building and its Surroundings

The Legislative Building officially opened on April 4, 1893. The architect was English-born Richard A. Waite, who lived in Buffalo, New York at the time. It took six years to build and cost $1.4 million. The heavy stonework, rounded archways and bold carvings featured in Waite's "Richardsonian Romanesque" style, together with his origins south of the border, created controversy as some criticized the design for being too American.

The Queen's Park site was once owned by King's College, forerunner of the University of Toronto. A building for the college was constructed on the grounds and opened in 1845. In 1854, King's College leased the land at Queen's Park to the City of Toronto with the understanding that part of the site would be reserved for the construction of a new parliament building. The lease was to last 999 years, but was replaced with a new arrangement in 1859 with the city paying $6,000 per year.

In the 1850s the college moved further west to its present site, and the original building was used for a few years as the University Hospital for the Insane. It was later abandoned and demolished when construction of the Queen's Park Legislative Building began in 1886. In the 1890s, the land around the building was transferred to the Province of Ontario, while the parkland north of Wellesley Street remained under the control of the City of Toronto.

Plans called for Canadian material to be used wherever possible in construction. Pink sandstone from the Credit Valley and Orangeville, and 10.5 million bricks made by the inmates of the Central Prison were used. A dome marks each of the four corners, and in the centre the windows of the Legislative Chamber overlook the grounds to the south.

Facing south down University Avenue, the Legislative Building has always been an important Toronto landmark. A statue of Sir John A. Macdonald guards the southern entry to the site and visitors can enjoy an impressive view as they approach the building.

Looking north from the Legislature's south lawn, you may notice the building appears slightly lopsided. This was not the intent of the architect, but the result of a fire in 1909 that saw the majority of the west wing burn to the ground after sparks from a charcoal stove ignited roof timbers. An extra floor was added during the rebuilding and the distinctive pyramid-like roof of the east wing was replace by a flat one.

Before entering the Legislature, visitors can appreciate a number of other noteworthy buildings nearby. At the southwest corner of College and University stands the headquarters for Ontario Power Generation. Mirroring the curve of Queen's Park Circle is the Frost Building that houses the Ministry of Finance.

Immediately to the east is Whitney Block -- a historic structure in its own right with a distinctive tower. Designed by Francis Riley Heakes and built from 1925 to 1933, Whitney Block was Ontario's first government office building to accommodate the overflow of civil servants from the Legislative Building. The Whitney Block still houses offices for government ministries. While no longer used for office space, the tower remains as a distinctive feature of the building and contains one of the few operational hand cranked elevators remaining in Toronto. The building also once contained a bowling alley and a section set aside for live domestic and farm animals.

Inside the Legislative Building

Upon entering the building, visitors will see the grand staircase in the large main lobby. The staircase splits, leading to the Legislative Library and the Chamber. A copy of Canada's original "Fathers of Confederation" painting looks down as visitors, members and staff climb the stairs.

At the foot of the stairs, visitors notice a distinct difference between the east and west wings of the building. Looking right, the east wing features wood panelling, while the west wing is dominated by Italian marble facing. Again, the difference is the result of the 1909 fire. Marble was used in the rebuilding of the west wing and if you look carefully, you can see a panel with a dinosaur fossil on the south side of the hallway. Both wings feature gallery hallways that allow light to flow through stained glass windows in their ceilings. Renovations that began in the 1990s have also uncovered hand-laid mosaic tile floors in the west wing.

Turning a corner of the west wing, you'll find one of the most historically significant parts of the building. The two-storey Lieutenant Governor's suite is the only part of the west wing to survive the 1909 fire. Firefighters formed a line of defence around the suite that then housed the Speaker's apartment and a dining room for members.

The Lieutenant Governor took over the suite in 1937 after Ontario's "Government House" at Chorley Park was closed. Much of the period furniture moved to the new suite with the Lieutenant Governor, and the collection features antiques that recall the style of the 17th century. With this furniture and its own interior staircase, thousands of guests step back in time when His Honour formally receives them on behalf of the government every year.

It was originally intended that the Legislative building house the entire government -- from members' offices to space for public servants. Movie censors once projected films on the wall of the fifth floor attic in the west wing, while other departments occupied the east wing. Members' offices were located in the west wing, along with committee rooms, a dining room and a sitting room.

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Copyright Information:� Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2004
Last Modified: April 20, 2006