<img class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual" src="https://display.blogto.com/articles/20250415-queens-park-toronto.jpeg?w=1200&amp;cmd=resize_then_crop&amp;height=630&amp;quality=70&amp;format=jpeg" width="100%" /><p>Today, Queen's Park is the nerve centre of Ontario's provincial government and a familiar landmark in Toronto. The impressive Romanesque Revival building, which is made of pink Credit Valley sandstone, has been home to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario<a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2013/04/a_brief_history_of_queens_park_in_toronto/"> since 1893</a>.</p><p>It also houses the Lieutenant Governor's suite and offices for Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs), but what you might not know is that its opening day was quite a bit&hellip;quirky.</p><p>In 1859, the City leased the area from King's College, and the following year, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) opened up a park in honour of his mother, Queen Victoria. The park was long considered a location for new parliament buildings, and between 1879 and 1880, their construction was officially authorized by the Ontario Legislature and city council.</p><p><img alt="queens park toronto" id="content-image-116253" src="https://display.blogto.com/uploads/2025/04/15/1744732052-Screen_Shot_2025-04-15_at_11.19.59_AM.jpeg?w=1400&amp;cmd=resize&amp;quality=70" /></p><p class="caption">Queen's Park circa 1893. Photo: Toronto Public Library Archives.</p><p>Ultimately, the commission was awarded to Richard Waite of Buffalo in 1886, a choice that sparked quite a bit of grumbling among Ontario's local architectural community. The main block of the structure, with its towering legislative chamber, was officially completed in 1892, and on April 4, 1893, the first legislative session in Queen's Park was opened under Premier Sir Oliver Mowat.</p><p>According to folk history, Mowat rode up to the brand-new building, turned to the Clerk, and said, "Well, Joe, we built it. How are we going to fill it with people?"</p><p><img alt="queens park toronto" id="content-image-116254" src="https://display.blogto.com/uploads/2025/04/15/1744732099-queens-park-circa-1900.jpeg?w=1400&amp;cmd=resize&amp;quality=70" /></p><p class="caption">Queen's Park circa 1900. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.</p><p>The rest of the opening day was packed with lots of excitement, and of course, a few hiccups. Festivities began at noon with the raising of the Canadian Red Ensign on a 22.5-metre mast. Thousands of citizens gathered and filled the grounds by 2 p.m.</p><p>Visitors also eagerly tried out the building's new electric elevators until one got stuck, which prompted officials to shut them all down for the night.</p><p><img alt="queens park toronto" id="content-image-116256" src="https://display.blogto.com/uploads/2025/04/15/1744732129-1907.jpeg?w=1400&amp;cmd=resize&amp;quality=70" /></p><p class="caption">Queen's Park in 1907. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.</p><p>The wind that day also added drama &mdash; it shattered a window in the west wing and shredded the Union Jack. Meanwhile, the Toronto Field Battery, preparing for a 15-gun salute, couldn't locate the Honour Guard from Company Two, Royal School of Infantry. With just minutes to share, Company Two appeared on College Street and, "urged on by a sweating sergeant-major, quickly marched into position."</p><p>At the time, a single-horse cab ride home from Queen's&nbsp;Park cost 20 cents, and if you wanted to splurge on a two-horse ride, it'd&nbsp;run you 25 cents.</p><p><img alt="queens park toronto" id="content-image-116257" src="https://display.blogto.com/uploads/2025/04/15/1744732158-1913.jpeg?w=1400&amp;cmd=resize&amp;quality=70" /></p><p class="caption">Queen's Park in 1913. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.</p><p>The next day, The Empire newspaper captured the magic of the opening ceremonies in its headline: "Legislators in Fairyland,"&nbsp;adding that, "The opening of the Legislature and the new Parliament Buildings yesterday was a notable occasion. The completion of the building marks an epoch in the history of the province."</p><p>Now, 132 years later, Queen's&nbsp;Park is the site of serious political decision-making, but its debut back in 1893 wasn't without a few entertaining stumbles.</p>