First Ontario Parliament Buildings

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181 Wellington St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3G7, Canada

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N43° 38' 42" W79° 23' 13.92"   (43.645, -79.3872) Start navigation »

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The first Ontario Parliament Buildings were built between 1829 and 1832 near Front, John, Simcoe and Wellington Streets in Toronto, Upper Canada. Architects of the buildings were J.G. Chewett, Cumberland & Storm (firm), Samuel Curry, John Ewart, John Howard and Thomas Rogers. Alterations took place in 1849.The building later housed Upper Canada College and was demolished in 1903.
The buildings were the third constructed for the parliament of the province of Upper Canada, which sat in them from 1832–1841. In 1841, Upper Canada was absorbed into the Province of Canada, and its capital rotated among several locations. The buildings served as the seat of government for the new province at various times between 1849–1859.
When the province of Canada ceased to exist with the creation of Ontario at Confederation on July 1, 1867, Toronto was named the provincial capital, and these Front Street buildings were the first used by the Ontario legislature. Therefore, they are the province of Ontario's first parliament buildings, but not the first parliament buildings in present-day Ontario.The Front Street location served the Ontario legislature from Confederation until 1893, when new parliament buildings opened at Queen's Park.
The site of Ontario's first parliament buildings is now occupied by Simcoe Place and the Canadian Broadcasting Centre.

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