Queen’s Park is a public park in downtown Toronto and the site of the Ontario Legislative Building, which opened officially on April 4, 1893. The park was dedicated on September 11, 1860, by Edward, Prince of Wales, and named for Queen Victoria. Because the legislature sits there, “Queen’s Park” is also used as a shorthand for the Government of Ontario.
From King’s College grounds to public park
The land belonged to King’s College, later the University of Toronto, which bought about 68 hectares (168 acres) from nearby farm estates in 1827. A college building was started there in 1842 and finished in 1843. In 1853 the Parliament of the Province of Canada took over the building, and the university moved its classes elsewhere. On August 29, 1858, the City of Toronto leased about 20 hectares (49 acres) from the university under a 999-year lease. The Prince of Wales dedicated the park on September 11, 1860, and it is often described as Canada’s first municipal park. A statue of Queen Victoria was planned in 1860 but not erected until 1903.
Choosing a site for the legislature
In 1880 the province held a design competition for a new Legislative Building at Queen’s Park, with an initial budget of $500,000 CAD. The Ontario Legislative Assembly records that the competition failed to produce a winner. In 1885 Richard A. Waite, a British-born architect who had served as a judge of the entries, presented his own plans, and the government accepted them quickly. Construction began early in 1886, and the budget was raised to $750,000 CAD. The southern portion of the park passed to the province that year.
Architecture
The building is a five-story, asymmetrical structure in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, with a load-bearing iron frame. About 10.5 million bricks were made by inmates of the Central Prison, and the pink sandstone came from the Credit River valley and the Orangeville area, according to secondary accounts. The final cost is put at about $1.25 million CAD, well over the 1885 budget, and some critics called the design “too American.” The Legislative Assembly dates the official opening to April 4, 1893, although parts of the building were unfinished.
The 1909 fire and later additions
On September 1, 1909, a fire that began on the west roof destroyed nearly the whole west side, including the Legislative Library. The Legislative Assembly reports that more than 100,000 books were lost. The Toronto architect E. J. Lennox was hired to rebuild the west wing, and the work continued until 1912. George Wallace Gouinlock designed the North Wing added in 1909.
Monuments in the park
Statues were added over the decades. The park holds a monument to George Brown (1884), one to Sir John A. Macdonald (1894), and the Queen Victoria statue (1903). In 2008 a statue of the poet Al Purdy was added, the first in the park honoring someone who was neither a politician nor a monarch.
The lease and the province’s ownership
The 999-year lease is described differently in two secondary accounts. The Wikipedia article on the park dates it to August 29, 1858, while the article on the Legislative Building says the city leased the site in 1859 for $1 CAD a year. The year therefore needs checking against the City of Toronto Archives or the University of Toronto Archives. Both accounts agree that the southern portion of the grounds was later handed to the province, and that the Legislative Building stands on that land. The result is a site where a city park, a provincial legislature, and university land meet.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1827 | King’s College buys the land. |
| August 29, 1858 | The City leases about 20 hectares for 999 years. |
| September 11, 1860 | Prince of Wales dedicates the park. |
| 1880 | The province holds a design competition. |
| 1886 | Construction begins on Waite’s design. |
| April 4, 1893 | The Legislative Building opens officially. |
| September 1, 1909 | Fire destroys the west wing. |
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Queen’s Park?
The park was named for Queen Victoria when it was dedicated in 1860. The name later became a nickname for the provincial government.
Who designed the Ontario Legislative Building?
Richard A. Waite, who had judged the 1880 competition before submitting his own plans in 1885. E. J. Lennox rebuilt the west wing after the 1909 fire.
When did the building open?
The Legislative Assembly gives April 4, 1893, as the official opening. One secondary source says construction was completed in 1892, so the exact finishing date differs by source.
Can the public visit?
Tours and visitor hours are set by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and change, so the Assembly’s visitor page on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario should be checked for current details.
Related reading
- An overview of Toronto’s history
- University of Toronto history
- Yorkville next to the park
- How historic buildings are protected
- Historic buildings of Toronto
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- Legislative Assembly of Ontario, timeline 1880 to 1909
- Wikipedia, “Queen’s Park (Toronto)” and “Ontario Legislative Building” (secondary)
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 23). Queen’s Park and the Ontario Legislative Building: A History. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/discover-the-charm-and-beauty-of-queens-park-toronto
MLA: “Queen’s Park and the Ontario Legislative Building: A History.” History of Toronto, 23 Oct. 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/discover-the-charm-and-beauty-of-queens-park-toronto. Accessed .
Chicago: History of Toronto. “Queen’s Park and the Ontario Legislative Building: A History.” Last modified October 23, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/discover-the-charm-and-beauty-of-queens-park-toronto.
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