herr2ck: Toronto Trip, pt. 3 - Queen’s Park & University Avenue

August 2025.

Next up in Toronto is the major north-south street of University Avenue, which becomes Queen’s Park around the Ontario Legislative Building. We’ll start at its intersection with Bloor Street, close to the ROM.

Royal Conservatory of Music (McMaster Hall)

Historic postcard of the building. (National Library and Archives of Quebec)

I guess this one is on Bloor Street, but I couldn’t find anywhere else to put it. The current Royal Conservatory of Music occupies a building that was once McMaster Hall, former home of McMaster University. The college was founded in 1887 with the merger of Toronto Baptist College and Woodstock College, financed by senator William McMaster. No sources mention when exactly this building was constructed or who its architect was, but it was ostensibly between 1887 and 1890, the latter date being when the first classes were held. McMaster considered becoming a federated college of University of Toronto due to outgrowing McMaster Hall, but they ultimately moved to Hamilton in 1927, and the building was sold to U of T.

The Royal Conservatory’s second building. (Wikimedia)

The Royal Conservatory of Music was founded around the same time, in 1886, and they were first housed above a music store in 1887. Their first purpose-built location was a Renaissance Revival structure along College Street and University Avenue, which was completed in 1897. The conservatory used this building until 1962, as it became too small, and they moved to McMaster Hall that year.

Very symmetrical and striking composition. It reminds me of Wycliffe College at U of T.

Church of the Redeemer

Engraving of Church of the Redeemer. (Landmarks of Toronto)

Church of the Redeemer was founded in 1867 due to the rapid expansion of the St. Paul’s congregation further east on Bloor Street. Located at the corner of Avenue Road and Bloor Street, kitty-corner from the Royal Ontario Museum, its cornerstone was laid in 1878 and the church was completed in 1879. The Gothic Revival design was by Smith & Gemmell.

1982 photo of the church with the newly built Renaissance Plaza behind. (Wikimedia)

Church of the Redeemer became a heritage church in 1973, though by that time it was facing low attendance, and the parish voted to dissolve itself and be taken over by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto in 1979. The adjacent land was sold to build the Renaissance Plaza, which was completed before 1982, and the money allowed the congregation to reopen and renovate the church. It remains functioning today and is known for its very progressive beliefs.

Looks like I caught a couple and their photographer on the way to get married. The church itself is pretty simple, a rough ashlar structure with a Latin cross plan and central bell tower. The adjacent Renaissance Plaza towers over but wraps around the church in plan.

What intrigued me the most about this church was its extremely shallow bell tower. I’ve seen similar towers on other churches by the time of writing this (March 2026), but at the time it reminded me of Frank Furness’s first commission, the Germantown Unitarian Church completed in 1867:

(Wikimedia)

Furness was known for his eclectic designs that played with the scale and forms of established revival styles. I wonder if the similar tower on Church of the Redeemer was inspired by this one.

Campbell Family Building (Ontario Hydro Commission Building)

This Art Deco building dates to 1935 and was built for the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario by architects Sproatt & Rolph. A ten-story addition was completed in 1945. It is now the Campbell Family Institute for Cancer Research and the Cancer Center of the Princess Margaret Hospital.

Gattuso & Slaight Building

I thought the base of this building was historic, but it has either been cleaned really well or dates to the 1990s like the remainder. It’s very Baroque with lavish ornamentation.

Canada Life Building

Canada Life Building (left) in 1934. (Wikimedia)

The massive, late Beaux-Arts Canada Life Building still towers over adjacent Osgoode Hall today. It was designed by Sproatt & Rolph for the Canada Life Assurance Company and completed in 1931. Apparently, there were several more structures of a similar nature intended to line University Avenue, but the Great Depression halted these plans. A weather beacon, which flashes different colors depending on conditions, was added to the roof in 1951.

The stepped-back forms of this building are very similar to later Art Deco designs, and the minimal ornamentation on upper floors might indicate a Stripped Classicism influence. However, the base has a very literal Doric portico.