August 2025.
The Ontario Legislative Building is an unusually pink Richardsonian Romanesque building that anchors the northern end of University Avenue. Housing the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, it is a major government building, and its placement along a major axis in downtown Toronto emphasizes that nature.
The Ontario Legislative Building is located at 1 Queen’s Park in downtown Toronto, Ontario. It is bordered by Wellesley Street and Queen’s Park to the north, University Avenue to the south, and Queen’s Park Crescent to the east and west.
History
Sketch of the 1794 “Palace of Parliament.” (Wikimedia)
The current Ontario Legislative Building is the existing province’s second, but there have been a total of seven that served its predecessors. The first was located in Niagara-on-the-Lake (then Newark, Upper Canada), either Navy Hall or Freemasons Hall. The House of Assembly first met there in 1791. However, since Niagara-on-the-Lake is just west of the United States border and relations were tense, a dedicated parliament building was built in Toronto (then York, Upper Canada) in 1794. These simple wooden structures were nicknamed the “Palace of Parliament” and stood at the modern-day intersection of Front Street and Parliament Street east of downtown. They were destroyed in a fire on April 27, 1813, a result of the Battle of York during the War of 1812. In the meantime, Parliament met in the York Hotel once, chief justice William Henry Draper’s house until 1820, and the York General Hospital until 1829.
Third Parliament Building of Upper Canada/First Ontario Parliament Building. (Legislative Assembly of Ontario)
The third parliament building of Upper Canada, also the First Ontario Parliament Building, was designed by several associated architects including John Ewart. It was built between 1829 and 1832 in the Georgian style. Upper Canada used the parliament building until 1841, when it became part of the larger Province of Canada, and it briefly served as the latter’s seat of government between 1851-1854 and 1859-1860. The province of Ontario was created in 1867 with the dissolution of the Province of Canada, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario took over the building that year. It was used by the legislature until 1893, when the current building opened. The First Ontario Parliament Building was abandoned and demolished c. 1900-1903. The site was later a train yard and is currently occupied by the CBC Building and Simcoe Place.
1895 photo of the south facade. Note the wood panel on the western tower, where the rose window is today. (Wikimedia)
Ontario’s legislature voted to approve the construction of a larger, more modern parliament building by 1880, and Richard A. Waite’s design was selected in 1885. Its construction began in 1886 and the building opened in April 1893, despite being unfinished, and it cost CA$1,250,000 to build. Waite’s design was criticized for being “too American,” undoubtedly due to its usage of the American Richardsonian Romanesque style. In addition, the western tower on the south facade was intended to hold a clock, but funds for its construction were never raised, and it was replaced with a rose window. The exterior uses pink Credit Valley sandstone, 10.5 million bricks made by prison inmates, Vermont slate roofing, and copper domes.
The Legislative Assembly’s website mentions some interesting anecdotes about the Ontario Legislative Building’s opening day on April 4, 1893. One of the premiers was alleged to have remarked “Well, Joe, we built it. How are we going to fill it with people?” The public was so enthralled with the building’s electric elevators that they rode them all day, until one became stuck and they were shut off for the night. It was also such a windy day that one of the windows broke and the Union Jack flag flying above became a tattered mess.
1930s view of the south facade. Note the higher roof of the western connector. (Wikimedia)
In 1909, construction began on an additional north wing, which was designed by George Wallace Gouinlock. A fire accidentally started by construction workers destroyed the entire wooden interior of the western wing, which was then redesigned with an additional floor by Edward J. Lennox (who also designed Old City Hall). These renovations and the northern wing were completed by 1913. The east wing retains its original height and wooden interior with cast-iron framing, while the western wing has a taller occupiable roof and a marble interior. Both architects were also forced to use a different kind of sandstone (Sackville sandstone) on the exterior, as the Credit Valley quarry was depleted.
Later space needs in the provincial government were accomplished via the construction of annexes, not further additions to the Ontario Legislative Building. These include the 1926 Whitney Block and the 1971 Macdonald Block. More recently, the building was identified as requiring extensive renovations as early as the 2010s. This renovation work still has not occurred due to the building’s historic significance, size, role in provincial government, and location. It was originally planned to be closed in 2026, but this has been pushed back until 2028 at the earliest.
Photos
There was an ongoing (peaceful) protest going on at the main facade of the building, so I didn’t really linger as not to cross the picket line. I think this may be the most stereotypically Canadian protest I’ve ever seen.
The central module has a more symmetrical approach to Richardsonian Romanesque architecture:
Recall that the west wing was rebuilt due to a fire and would have appeared similar to the east wing when the building was first completed. Aside from the rose window and balcony on the two different towers, this area is perfectly symmetrical. It still has the picturesque nature of the style, with varying window sizes and whimsical features such as towers.
Again, I couldn’t get a centered view of the arched portals as to not intrude into the protest, but I got this shot a bit off-center:
This building doesn’t use different shades of masonry to achieve its contrast, it instead varies the treatment of the stone in the smooth arch voussoirs versus the rough walls around it. Lots of fun reliefs and carvings here, too.
Zoomed in on the roof and tower peaks:
Lots of naturalistic ornamentation in bands across various parts of the facade, but much of the building’s effect is achieved through form and the rusticated texture. The roof is also really steeply pitched.
The western tower, with its rose window where a clock was intended to be placed:
Detail:
I like the filigree of the panels that surround it, which add a lot of texture and emphasize the area versus the otherwise more uniform wall.
Eastern wing:
It’s pretty thin--only four bays wide, and two of them recess behind the area with the dormer. No wonder an addition was needed so quickly.
You can tell where the west wing was modified with the darker stone used:
The original northwest end:
It’s pretty common for Richardsonian Romanesque architecture to have a bunch of columns with different capital shapes and carvings, but I haven’t seen different shafts as often:
Porte-cochere on the west facade:
The thick, squat masonry pier that supports the large arch span:
The north wing, lacking towers but more regular and arch-y:
I love the intricate seal above the doors here.
Intricate capitals, tympana, and a blind arcade above the top floor:
The west side has a little apse that projects from the wall face:
Bonus picture of the large tower of the Whitney Block, one of the various annexes built to support this building:
It’s a little odd to me that Toronto’s own city hall is larger than the offices of the provincial government it’s a part of, but I know it is only one of several buildings that the government uses.
Sources:
https://www.ola.org/en/visit-learn/parliament-government/legislative-building
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