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64-598: The building and the provincial government are both often referred to by the metonym "Queen's Park". Designed by Richard A. Waite , the Ontario Legislative Building is an asymmetrical , five-storey structure built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, with a load-bearing iron frame . This is clad inside and out in Canadian materials where possible; the 10.5 million bricks were made by inmates of

128-445: A terminating vista for the north end of that main thoroughfare. The Legislative Chamber is directly on this axis, in the centre of the building, and is lit by the three large and prominent arched windows above the main portico . This block is flanked by two domed towers, the west of which was originally intended to hold a clock, but was fitted with a rose window instead, after funds for the clock were never amassed. The asymmetry of

192-653: A billion dollars. In March 2023, the Queen’s Park Restoration Secretariat was created by the governing Progressive Conservative Government to lead this planning, working with the Legislature's Procedure and House Affairs Committee. However, the plans to temporarily and completely close the building have been slowed by the problems inherent to the building's role, location, and historical significance. It has been estimated that any alternative site chosen must have at least 500,000 square feet of space to house

256-525: A couple of residences during his tenure. Upon his arrival in Upper Canada in 1792, he used one of the buildings at Navy Hall in Niagara-on-the-Lake as a residence, sharing the space with Upper Canada’s legislature. When Simcoe moved the colonial capital to York (present-day Toronto ) in 1793, he built a summer residence, Castle Frank , north of the settlement in 1794. Simcoe's successor and

320-508: A full range of in-house security services to the Legislative Precinct. Protective Service Officers are detection and screening specialists who maintain a safe and secure environment within the Legislative Precinct and ensure that all visitors are screened before entering. Peace Officers of the LPS are responsible for the safety and security of MPPs, Legislative Assembly employees, visitors to

384-479: A key component of his party's election platform to close Chorley Park, promising that an opulent palace would not be maintained by the taxpayers of Ontario; Chorley Park used 965 tons of coal to operate, whereas the average Toronto home used only six to seven. After Hepburn was appointed premier , following the Liberal Party 's victory in the 1937 provincial election, he ensured that Albert Edward Matthews would be

448-638: A large rendition of Upper Canada's first lieutenant governor, John Graves Simcoe , painted by Edmund Wyly Grier and on loan from the Toronto Public Library), as well as of Elizabeth II , Queen of Canada , and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh . Special art exhibitions are also commissioned from time to time. The Music Room is the largest space in the viceregal suite and is the site of New Years' levées , swearing-in ceremonies for cabinet ministers , and presentations of, and investitures for, provincial honours . The present Ontario Legislative Building

512-467: A new Government House on the same site. In 1868, construction began on a new Government House, designed in the Second Empire style by architect Henry Langley . A three-storey red brick home, trimmed with Ohio cut stone, the building featured a tower, steeply sloped mansard roofs and dormer windows, with the main entrance and carriage porch facing Simcoe Street. The drawing room on the first floor and

576-729: A part of the government themselves. BPS organizations are also subject to legislation and directives. Public servants who are paid $ 100,000 or more are subject to the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act. This list is colloquially known as the sunshine list . Government House (Ontario) Government House was the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada and Ontario , Canada. Four buildings were used for this purpose, none of which exist today, making Ontario one of four provinces not to have an official vice-regal residence. The colony's first Lieutenant Governor, John Graves Simcoe , occupied

640-481: A perambulation system that saw parliament relocate between Toronto and Quebec every four years. With mounting displeasure over the transient nature of the Canadian parliament, and an inability on the part of politicians to agree as to where to locate the legislative building, Queen Victoria was asked to make a selection; over all the other cities in the Province of Canada, she chose Bytown (later Ottawa) in 1857. Today,

704-856: Is Doug Ford of the Progressive Conservatives since the 2018 election ; the 26th since Confederation . The Government of Ontario employs 63,000+ public servants in its non-partisan workforce called the Ontario Public Service (OPS). The OPS helps the government design and deliver policies and programs. The head of the OPS is the Secretary of Cabinet and each ministry in the OPS has a Deputy Minister. The OPS public servants work in areas like administration, communications, data analytics, finance, information technology, law, policy, program development, service delivery, science and research. Over 80% of

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768-647: Is also the King in Right of Ontario. As a Commonwealth realm, the Canadian monarch is shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations . Within Canada, the monarch exercises power individually on behalf of the federal government , and the 10 provinces. The powers of the Crown are vested in the monarch and are exercised by the lieutenant governor. The advice of

832-467: Is punctuated with uncharacteristically large windows, allowed by the nature of the iron structure. The 1909 North Wing was built by noted Toronto architect George Wallace Gouinlock and E.J. Lennox added two floors to the west wing. The main façade fronts south, with the central axis of the building an extension of that for University Avenue , meaning that the Legislative Building creates

896-458: Is the lobby of the legislative chamber, with the door to which centrally aligned in the south wall. From this core, wide corridors extend east and west, each bisected by a long and narrow atrium lined with ornate railings; the east wing is decorated more in the Victorian fashion in which it was built, with dark wood panelling, while the west wing corridor is more Edwardian Neoclassical in style,

960-617: Is the seventh such structure to serve as Ontario's parliament building. Either Navy Hall or the Freemasons Hall in Newark , Upper Canada (today Niagara-on-the-Lake , Ontario), served as the first legislature , where the initial meeting of the House of Assembly occurred on 17 September 1791. Only three years later, however, construction began on a dedicated parliament building in York (now Toronto), as it

1024-547: The Loire Valley . It was one of the most expensive residences ever constructed in Canada at the time and outshone even Rideau Hall in size and grandeur. Sir John Strathearn Hendrie and his wife were the first viceregal couple to live at Chorley Park. The Prince Edward (later King Edward VIII ) stayed here for three days in late August 1919, on his cross-Canada tour. During the Great Depression , Mitchell Hepburn made it

1088-521: The University of Toronto and now functions as the international students' centre. The government sought to construct a new government house on Bloor Street East and 12 architects submitted proposals in 1909. However, as that area was becoming too commercial, the province moved the site to a 14-acre (5.7 ha) parcel of secluded and undeveloped land in Toronto's Rosedale neighbourhood. The proceeds from

1152-498: The War of 1812 . After the destruction of the Fort York house, York did not have another Government House until after the War of 1812 . In 1815, the government purchased Elmsley House, a more commodious Georgian residence, for its Lieutenant Governor. The new Government House was located in a wooded area to the west of the settled portion of the (then) Town of York , roughly midway on

1216-574: The Whitney Block , which is directly adjacent to the Legislative Building, and the Macdonald Block , which is currently in the midst of its own 1.5 billion dollar renovation which is behind schedule. Moreover, a portion of the TTC 's Line 1 Subway runs directly under the Legislative Building and Grounds, and there is presumed to be “abandoned and unknown” infrastructure that lies below the building. Finally,

1280-470: The Whitney Block . The building is featured on both the front and back covers of Rush 's 1981 album Moving Pictures . At the north-west corner of the building is the Lieutenant Governor's Suite, which has housed the office of the lieutenant governor of Ontario since 1937, when the provincial Crown sold its Government House to the federal Crown-in-Council . The space was previously used as

1344-470: The non-partisan Ontario Public Service and directed by the elected government. The premier of Ontario is the first minister of the Crown . The premier acts as the head of government for the province, chairs and selects the membership of the Cabinet , and advises the Crown on the exercise of executive power and much of the royal prerogative . As premiers hold office by virtue of their ability to command

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1408-422: The royal prerogative and granting royal assent . While the advice of the premier and Executive Council is typically binding on the lieutenant governor, there are occasions when the lieutenant governor has refused advice. This usually occurs if the premier does not clearly command the confidence of the elected Legislative Assembly. The executive power is vested in the Crown and exercised "in-Council", meaning on

1472-537: The "hazardous and severely deficient” conditions within the Main Legislative Building, a renovation requiring the full decamp of the staff and MPPs who currently work within the Legislative Building to an alternate location (similar to the renovation currently underway at Parliament Hill in Ottawa ) is being planned, with a projected timeline of 10 years to complete once started and at a projected cost of more than

1536-676: The Cabinet dining room and the speaker's apartment. The suite is a three-storey complex, with its own ceremonial stairway and elevator entrances, where members of the Canadian royal family and visiting dignitaries are greeted. A rose garden, donated by the Monarchist League of Canada in honour of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 1977, and added to for the Golden and Diamond Jubilees, sits across

1600-604: The Central Prison, and the Ontario sandstone—with a pink hue that has earned the building the colloquial name of The Pink Palace —comes from the Credit River valley and Orangeville, Ontario , and was given a rustic finish for most of the exterior, but dressed for trim around windows and other edges. There can also be seen over the edifice a multitude of stone carvings , including gargoyles , grotesques , and friezes . The exterior

1664-771: The Legislative grounds is provided by the Legislative Protective Service (LPS), under the direction of the Sergeant-at-Arms. In 2016, in response to the 2014 Parliament Hill Attack , then-Speaker Dave Levac announced the establishment of an Armed Response Unit within the Legislative Security Service (the precursor to the LPS), and some members were armed with handguns. At present, the LPS consists of Protective Service Officers and Peace Officers who provide

1728-755: The Legislature and the Precinct itself. LPS Peace Officers are armed and have full policing powers, enabling them to enforce legislation such as the Highway Traffic Act , the Provincial Offences Act , and the Criminal Code of Canada, and are subject to the mandate of the Special Investigations Unit . In early 2021, a new Visitors’ Centre located at the southwest side of the Assembly building

1792-599: The OPS workforce is unionized, which includes the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and the Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario . The Government of Ontario is not the same as Broader Public Sector ( BPS ) organizations. While both provide goods and services to Ontarians, BPS organizations receive funding from the Government of Ontario, but are not

1856-400: The Ontario Legislative Building was (though still incomplete) officially opened on 4 April 1893 by the then Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, George Airey Kirkpatrick . The final cost was tallied at approximately CA$ 1,250,000 , and the design was criticised by some as "too American ". This left the old parliament building on Front Street vacant, and it stood as such for nearly a decade before it

1920-408: The Ontario Legislative Building, enclosing the courtyard. As construction was underway, on 1 September men repairing galvanised roofing on the west wing accidentally sparked a fire that eventually destroyed the interior of that part of the edifice, including the legislative library. It then took until 1912 for repairs and reconstructions to be made, and the new wing to be completed. Further expansions of

1984-411: The Province of Canada, despite the structure having been damaged by fire in 1861 and 1862. By 1880, a request was made for designs for a new parliament building for the province of Ontario, and, when none of the entries was found to be less than CA$ 500,000 , the legislature approved during 1885 a budget of CA$ 750,000 for the chosen scheme by Richard A. Waite . Construction then commenced in 1886, and

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2048-566: The advice of the Executive Council; conventionally, this is the Cabinet, which is chaired by the premier and comprises ministers of the Crown . The term Government of Ontario , or more formally, His Majesty's Government refers to the activities of the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council . The day-to-day operation and activities of the Government of Ontario are performed by the provincial departments and agencies, staffed by

2112-404: The block bounded by King, Adelaide, John , and Peter Streets; a move that delayed the hospital's opening until the legislative body moved on to the old Court House, which stood on the north side of King Street, between Toronto and Church Streets. In 1832, a new structure was built on Front Street, west of Simcoe Street, and served continuously as the third parliament building of Upper Canada until

2176-594: The block now occupied by Roy Thomson Hall and Metro Hall in downtown Toronto. Built in 1798, the residence had been the home of the Chief Justice and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly , John Elmsley , and it served as the colony's Government House from 1815 to 1841 (and intermittently from 1841 to 1858, during some of the times when Toronto served as the capital of the Province of Canada ). From 1847 to 1849 it

2240-429: The building include poor ventilation, the widespread presence of asbestos , not enough emergency exits to comply with fire codes, undrinkable tap water due to lead pipes, exposed wiring, and "mechanical systems that are close to, or already, failing." There are also not enough "sprinkler systems, and unprotected openings in the ceilings and walls could allow smoke and fire to easily spread between floors." In order to fix

2304-470: The building's history means there are a "multitude of exterior considerations for the project." There are more than 30 statues, monuments and plaques on the grounds, as well as three Japanese cherry trees , which were a gift from the Japanese Consulate in Toronto in 2005. Due to these issues, the original goal of closing the building for the renovation by 2026 has been pushed back to at least 2028, and

2368-504: The colony's second Lieutenant Governor, Peter Hunter , initially continued to reside in his own home, Russell Abbey, located at the south-west corner of Princess and Front streets. The first official government house was a one-storey, U-shaped frame house built at Fort York in 1800, designed by Captain Robert Pilkington and first occupied by Hunter. The structure was destroyed when a nearby powder magazine exploded in 1813 during

2432-569: The confidence of the elected Legislative Assembly , they typically sit as a MPP and lead the largest party or a coalition in the Assembly. Once sworn in, the premier holds office until their resignation or removal by the lieutenant governor after either a motion of no confidence or defeat in a general election . In Canada, the Cabinet (French: Conseil des ministres , lit.   'council of ministers') of provincial and territorial governments are known as an Executive Council ( French : Conseil exécutif ). The premier of Ontario

2496-510: The driveway from the suite's entrance portico. Inside are reception rooms, a state dining room, staff offices, and a kitchen, arranged around a central stair hall. The furnishings and chandeliers throughout the suite came from the last government house, Chorley Park , and paintings from the Government of Ontario Art Collection and the Toronto Public Library. The suite is also home to portraits of some past lieutenant governors (including

2560-648: The executive—political ministers of the Crown (the Cabinet/Executive Council), appointed on the advice of the premier, and the non-partisan Ontario Public Service (whom the Executive Council directs), who staff ministries and agencies to deliver government policies, programs, and services—which corporately brands itself as the Government of Ontario , or more formally, His Majesty's Government of Ontario ( French : Gouvernement de l’Ontario de Sa Majesté ). King  Charles III , as monarch of Canada

2624-464: The former Minister formerly in charge of the project was quoted in March 2024 saying "the more you dig into it, the more comes up.” According to a member of the Legislature's Procedure and House Affairs Committee involved in the planning of the renovation, a potential temporary relocation site has been identified and negotiations are underway, though the potential location has been kept secret. Security within

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2688-543: The hundreds of offices which are currently within the Legislative Building, not to mention an additional 5,000 square feet of space to house the Legislative Chamber where MPPs meet to debate. Not only that, but the temporary lodgings will need to remain in the Downtown Area , as various Ministry and Ontario Government Offices are scattered in buildings throughout the area around Queen's Park, including but not limited to

2752-427: The last lieutenant governor of Ontario to live in an official residence; in 1937, after only 22 years and seven viceroys, Chorley Park was closed. The contents of the mansion were auctioned off the following year, bringing in a profit of $ 18,000 ( $ 367,200 in 2023 dollars ), and Ontario became the first province in Canada not to have a government house . ( Alberta also closed its Government House in 1938.) The estate

2816-740: The parliamentary infrastructure were from then on built across the east side of Queen's Park Crescent, with the Whitney Block built in 1925, the Macdonald and Hepburn Blocks completed in 1968, the Mowat and Hearst Blocks in 1969. In the early 2010s, a report found that the building and its infrastructure were in need of repair. Since its construction in 1893, the Main Legislative Building has "only undergone piecemeal repairs" and upgrades, leaving "critical building systems...at risk of total failure" according to Government Press Releases. The infrastructure issues within

2880-509: The premier and Executive Council is typically binding; the Constitution Act, 1867 requires executive power to be exercised only "by and with the Advice of the Executive Council". The lieutenant governor is appointed by the governor general , on the advice of the prime minister of Canada . Thus, it is typically the lieutenant governor whom the premier and ministers advise, exercising much of

2944-558: The protection of the capital, however, and the Palace of Parliament was destroyed by fire on 27 April 1813, as a consequence of an attack on the city in the War of 1812 . The House of Assembly then met once in the ballroom of the York Hotel (between King and Front Streets), and regularly, from then until 1820, at the home of Chief Justice of the Court of the King's Bench William Henry Draper , which

3008-509: The province was united with Lower Canada in 1840, after which the joined assembly was relocated by the then Governor General , Charles Poulett Thomson, Baron Sydenham , to the general hospital building in Kingston . The House of Assembly moved in and out of the Front Street building over the ensuing years, relocating for brief periods to Montreal and Quebec City , even at one point adopting

3072-499: The rough footprint of its foundations. The once formal gardens have long gone fallow and, today, Chorley Park is a naturalized parkland. Ontario's Lieutenant Governor uses an office and suite of rooms for entertainment in the Ontario Legislative Building , and lives in his or her private Toronto home or is provided a rented residence by the provincial government . Since the closure of the last Government House, whenever

3136-618: The sale of the Bloor Street site were used to acquire the land in Rosedale. Chorley Park, the fourth government house, was constructed between 1911 and 1915. It was named for Chorley , Lancashire , the birthplace of Toronto alderman and first chair of the Toronto Public Library , John Hallam . The house was designed by Francis R. Heakes and built of Credit Valley stone in a French Renaissance style, reminiscent of French châteaux in

3200-410: The similarly-named Elmsley Villa, located near what is today the intersection of Bay and Grosvenor Streets (northwest corner), rather than at Elmsley House. Elmsley Villa was a two-storey Georgian structure that stood until at least the 1860s. Elmsley House was destroyed by fire in 1862. Four years after the fire at Elmsley House, the firm of Gundry and Langley of Toronto was commissioned to design

3264-524: The site of the first parliament buildings in York is a parking lot for a car wash, a car rental company and a car dealership. Archaeological excavations at the site in 2000 undercovered evidence of the buildings. Subsequently, the property was bought by the Ontario Heritage Trust which operated a Parliament Interpretive Centre at the site from 2012 to 2015. The dig was covered up to await future plans for

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3328-424: The site. On 1 July 1867, however, the province joined with two others in confederation and was split into the present-day provinces of Ontario and Quebec , meaning that new legislatures were established for each of the two new provincial entities. Toronto was chosen as the capital of the former, and the legislative assembly moved back to the same Front Street property that had been home to the House of Assembly for

3392-412: The south face was not originally as strong as it is at present; the west wing was designed to have three storeys under a pyramidal roof, as the east wing is still formed nowadays. After the fire of 1909, however, the west side of the Legislative Building was repaired and expanded, with an added fourth floor that bears wall dormer windows in a long, gabled roof. At the far termini of the east–west axis,

3456-442: The state bedroom on the second floor faced Lake Ontario over a large landscaped garden. Completed in 1870, the house cost CA$ 105,000 , and its first resident was John Beverley Robinson . By the 20th century, the development of railways and industrial uses nearby prompted the provincial government to seek a more appropriate location for its vice-regal residence, as it had done more than a century before. The third Government House

3520-410: The time, Chorley Park was considered dilapidated and outmoded and municipal funds were being spent demolishing heritage structures throughout the city to make room for modern buildings. The building was demolished in 1961 and the grounds of the estate were added to the civic parks system. The only trace of Government House left is the bridge to the forecourt and some depressions in the earth that outline

3584-535: The walls lined with white marble, and reflecting the time in which it was built. To the south of the Legislative Building is an open area with extensive tree cover, which is often used for public gatherings and demonstrations. The provincial ministries are housed in the separate Ontario Government Buildings complex to the east, including the Macdonald complex (composed of the Hearst, Mowat , Ferguson and Hepburn towers) and

3648-416: The wings each turn at right angles and extend north, enclosing a three-sided courtyard, in which sits the 1909 block, a free-standing, four storey structure that is rectangular in plan. Inside, a central hall runs between the main entrance at the south and a grand staircase directly opposite, from the mid-landing of which is accessed the parliamentary library in the 1909 block. At the top landing of this stair

3712-691: Was bought by the federal Crown-in-Council and thereafter served various functions, including a military hospital during the Second World War , the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Toronto, and a residence for refugees of the 1956 Hungarian uprising , including several of Imre Nagy 's staff members. Under Mayor Nathan Phillips in 1960, the City of Toronto bought the house for $ 100,000 ($ 1.01 million in 2023 dollars ) in order to destroy it and create municipal parkland. At

3776-440: Was completed, acting as a single, accessible point of entry for all visitors to be screened before entering the building. Government of Ontario Official Opposition [REDACTED] Canada portal The Government of Ontario ( French : Gouvernement de l'Ontario ) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario . The term Government of Ontario refers specifically to

3840-533: Was demolished from 1900 to 1903. The site was then sold to the Grand Trunk Railway , which used the former parliamentary land for freight sheds and marshalling yards. The location is now occupied by the Canadian Broadcasting Centre , a public square, and a number of high-rise buildings. With an increasing population in the province, it became necessary in 1909 to add a wing to the north side of

3904-502: Was felt by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe that the presence of a provincial capital directly across the border from the United States was too great a risk, especially as the relations between the US and Britain were then tense. By June the complex, located at the intersection of Front and Parliament Streets , was completed, and the humble wood structures were dubbed the Palace of Parliament (The structure resembled two military barracks). The relocation to York did not ensure

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3968-458: Was home to the Toronto Normal School . For many years after its purchase by the government, the residence was still known by the name of its former owner, with the correspondence of the Lieutenant Governor typically dated from "Elmsley House". In 1846, the grounds were used for the first annual Provincial Agricultural Fair . Beginning in 1849, Lord Elgin , the Governor General of the then united Province of Canada, resided for two years at

4032-414: Was located at the present intersection of Wellington and York Streets. The new parliament buildings was a two-storey Georgian architecture structure, put up on the site of the previous structure, stood only for four years, succumbing to an accidental fire on 30 December 1824. From then until 1829, the House of Assembly gathered at the newly built York General Hospital , located on the south-east corner of

4096-458: Was sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1912 and demolished in 1915. During the transition from the third to the fourth Government House, the Lieutenant Governor temporarily lived at Pendarves (later known as Cumberland House) from 1912 to 1915. Originally designed as an Italianate villa by Frederick William Cumberland for his family's use and completed in 1860, the house is located at 33 St. George Street. It has been owned since 1923 by

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