Queen’s Park & the Legislative Building

The Queen’s park is located on the grounds of the Ontario Legislative Building and it’s often used as a metonym for the Government of Ontario. Edward VII, then Prince of Wales opened it in 1860, and it was named in honor of Queen Victoria. Though the property is, in principle, owned by the University of Toronto, it has been leased to the Government of Ontario for 999 years.

The section of the park that lies north of Wellesley Street is designed in the style of a typical English landscaped garden and the dominant factor is the huge trees that provide a shady and welcome cover in the warmer months. Right in the center of the northern section of the part is an equestrian statue of Edward VII, which was located in India at some point of time. After 1969, when India became a Commonwealth republic, it was moved to Canada.

Apart from this notable statue of Edward VII, there are several other landmarks and statues in the Queen’s Park. Among the places to visit are the Ontario Veterans Memorial, the Northwest Rebellion Memorial, and the War Memorial of the 48th Highlanders. Statues include likenesses of King George V; John Sandfield Macdonald – first Premier of Ontario; Sir John A. MacDonald – first Prime Minister of Canada; Sir James Pliny Whitney – sixth Premier of Ontario, and Sir Oliver Mowat – third Premier of Ontario.

The Ontario Legislative Building (also known as the Parliament building) was erected in 1886-92. Built at a cost of $1.4 million, this building is made of sandstone. It is quite an imposing structure and for more than a century, it functioned as the meeting place for Ontario’s Parliament. The architectural style of the building is Richardson Romanesque and even though some people are of the opinion that the structure looks a bit too American, nothing but the best Canadian materials were used to make this structure. Pink Sandstone was brought in from various parts of the country, while over 10 million bricks used in this building were made by the inmates of the Central prison in the province.

As you climb the grand staircase in the center of the interior, you will notice that there is a visible difference in the east and the west wing. This is because in 1909, a fire destroyed a large part of the Legislative Building’s west wing. Therefore, while the east wing has extensive use of dark wood, including wooden columns and railings, the west wing has more of white Italian marble. Both the wings have stained-glass ceilings that allow a flood of sunlight to fill the wide-open hallways.

From the historical and cultural point of view, the Legislative Building makes for an interesting tour. In the hallways on the first floor, you can find exhibits from various community museums in Ontario. However, if your aim is to take a casual stroll or read a book in peace, there is no other place more inviting than the Queen’s Park.