Queen's Park (Toronto)
Queen's Park | |
---|---|
Type | Municipal park |
Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Coordinates | 43°39′53″N 79°23′33″W / 43.664659°N 79.392453°W |
Opened | 11 September 1860 |
Etymology | Queen Victoria |
Owned by | University of Toronto & Government of Ontario[note 1] |
Managed by | Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division & the Government of Ontario[note 2] |
Paths | 3 bicycle trails[4] |
Public transit access | Queen's Park Museum 506 |
Queen's Park is an
The park is nearly an
History
Shortly after King's College (later renamed the University of Toronto) was established in 1827, the institution purchased 68 hectares (170 acres) from two farming estates north of the Town of York (present-day Toronto), including present day Queen's Park.[7][8]
This was part of the 150 acres (61 ha) from portions of three park lots:[9]
- North Half of Park Lot 11 from Mary Elmsley (John Elmsley's estate was sold by his wife Mary Hallowell after his death in 1805)
- North half of Park Lot 12 from William Dummer Powell
- North half of Park Lot 13 from D'Arcy Boulton
The cornerstone for one of the college's earliest buildings was laid at the site on 23 April 1842.[1] The building was built on the present site of the east wing of the Ontario Legislative Building, and was completed in 1843; although it remained vacant until 1845.[1] The building was initially planned to be the southeast wing for a larger building, although these additional wings were never built as a result of budget shortfalls.[1] The building was situated within a landscaped park surrounded by tree-lined avenues, and was accessed through two gates to the north and south.[10] While the university occupied the property it was known as University Park.[8]
In 1853, the Parliament of the Province of Canada expropriated the building for its use; with the University of Toronto relocating classes held in that building to the Third Parliament Buildings of Upper Canada.[1] The Parliament of the Province of Canada was based in Toronto from 1849 to 1853 and again from 1856 to 1858; having relocated several times within the Province of Canada during its existence.
Given the park's popularity with local residents, the municipal government of Toronto entered negotiations with the university to lease the land for the purposes of creating a public park;[10] with a 999-year lease for 20 hectares (49 acres) of land eventually formalized on 29 August 1858.[1][8] The terms of the lease also outlined that the government had the right to build a legislative building on the property if they so desired.[10]
On 11 September 1860, the property was officially dedicated as Canada's first municipal park by Edward, Prince of Wales (later
In 1879, the provincial government acted on its option to construct a new legislature on the property and informed the city of its intention to do so.
Although the new legislative building split the park into two sections, local residents continued to congregate there for concerts, memorial services, military parades, and political gatherings.
In 1984, Queen's Park hosted two tree planting ceremonies for the
In the early 2000s, Canadian poet Dennis Lee and poet advocate Richard Griffin led a campaign to erect a statue of Al Purdy, another Canadian poet, on the grounds of Queen's Park.[14] The campaign specifically insisted that the statue should be located at Queen's Park, in order to demonstrate the significance of poetry and the arts in Canada's cultural life.[14] The statue was eventually built and unveiled in 2008, making it the first statue at Queen's Park that commemorates an individual that was not a political figure or monarch.
Layout
The shape of Queen's Park is similar to an oval, although the southwestern edge of Queens Park "kinks in" somewhat. The "kink" in the southwestern edge formed the former bank of Taddle Creek, a waterway underground. The oval park is bounded by Queen's Park Crescent East and West. These form part of a major through route consist of University Avenue (south of College Street), Queen's Park Crescent East and West, Queen's Park, and Avenue Road (north of Bloor Street). Queen's Park Crescent East and West carry northbound and southbound traffic respectively and are linked to make a complete counterclockwise loop around the park. University Avenue, Queen's Park (with no suffix), and Avenue Road have two-way traffic and lie in essentially the same straight line. Wellesley Street bisects Queen's Park Crescent slightly north of the loop's centre.
The portion of the park north of Wellesley Street is maintained by the
The portion of Queen's Park south of Wellesley Street is maintained by the provincial government and includes the Ontario Legislative Building south of Wellesley Street, the parking lot to the south of the building, and the remaining portions of the park.[3] In contrast to the northern portion of the Queen's Park, minimal landscaping was done to the southern portion of the park. However, the southern portion of the park includes the majority of the monuments and memorials in the park, and its gardens.[3]
The first portion of the Queen Elizabeth II rose gardens was dedicated in 1977, to mark the
Geography
Queen's Park is situated on top of sandy sediment, having been deposited there when the area was the floor bed for Glacial Lake Iroquois.[18] Initially, the area was covered with eastern white pine, northern red oak, and white oak trees.[18] However, because a number of non-native trees from Europe were planted around the area during the early 19th century, the park presently holds a large variety of trees from Europe, as well as trees native to Toronto.[18] Attempts have been made to restore the park to resemble how it appeared prior to the introduction of non-native species through the planting of additional trees native to the area.[18]
Transit access
Memorials and monuments
Queen's Park holds a number of
The park's first memorial was the Canadian Volunteer Monument.[note 3][8] Unveiled in 1870, it is the second oldest monument in Toronto.[19] Sculpted by Robert Reid, it was dedicated to Toronto residents that fought during the Battle of Ridgeway.[20] A second war memorial was erected in 1895, the Northwest Rebellion Monument. The monument commemorated members of the Canadian Militia and the North-West Mounted Police who fought during the North-West Rebellion.[12] Near the northern apex of Queen's Park is the 48th Highlanders of Canada Regimental Memorial, erected in 1923.[14] In 1940, the Mackenzie monument was unveiled, commemorating William Lyon Mackenzie, as well as the establishment of responsible government in the Province of Canada.[15] The monument and bust were sculpted by Walter Seymour Allward. In 1967, the government of Ontario unveiled the Post One Monument, commemorating the Canadian Centennial.[12]
The
Near the southern tip of the park on the pathway towards the legislative building, there also exist two plaques affixed to boulders.[21] The first boulder was installed in 1935, commemorating the silver jubilee of King George V; whereas the second boulder serves as a memorial for the victims of the Air India Flight 182 bombing in 1985.[21] Another large boulder with a plaque affixed to it is situated northeast of the Mackenzie monument, and commemorates Canadian volunteers of the Mackenzie–Papineau Battalion.[15] The battalion, which partly owes its namesake to William Lyon Mackenzie, fought during the Spanish Civil War as a part of the XV International Brigade.
Statues of individuals
In addition to memorials, a number of full-body statues that commemorate individuals are also situated at Queen's Park. The majority of the statues are mounted on plinths. Most of the statues situated in the southern portion of the park face away from the legislative building, towards the south.[22]
Figure | Portrait | Statue | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
George Brown | Charles Bell Birch, it was unveiled in 1884.[12] It is the first statue erected at the park that honours a historic figure.[7] | Created by||
King Edward VII |
|||
Queen Elizabeth II |
Ruth Abernethy, the statue was unveiled in 2023.[24] | Created by||
Sir John A. Macdonald | Hamilton MacCarthy, the statue was unveiled in 1894.[12] | Created by||
John Sandfield Macdonald | [12] | Created by Walter Seymour Allward, the statue was unveiled in 1909.||
Sir Oliver Mowat | [12] | Created by Walter Seymour Allward, the statue was unveiled in 1905.||
Al Purdy | Created by Edwin and Veronica Dam de Nogales, the statue was unveiled in 2008. | ||
John Graves Simcoe | Walter Seymour Allward, the statue was unveiled in 1903.[12] | Created by||
Queen Victoria | Mario Raggi and purchased by the Province of Ontario in 1902.[12] Plans were made to erect the statue in 1860, with the statue's foundation laid down in 1871.[7] The statue was shipped to Toronto in 1872, although the statue was returned after insufficient funds were raised to pay for the statue.[7] The statue was retrieved from storage and purchased by the province after Victoria's death in 1902.[7] The statue was finally erected in 1903.[25] | Created by||
Sir James Whitney |
Memorials adjacent to the park
Several monuments are built adjacent to Queen's Park, separated by roadways that surround the oval-shaped park. The
In addition to these monuments, a statue of Robert Raikes and Norman Bethune are also situated southwest of the park. The statue of Bethune was commissioned by the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and was unveiled in 2014.[26]
-
Statue of Norman Bethune
See also
Notes
- ^ On 29 August 1858, a 999-year lease was signed between the university and the municipal government of Toronto; where the city would lease 20 hectares (49 acres) of land from the university, present day Queen's Park.[1] In 1886, ownership of the southern portion of the property was formally handed over to the government of Ontario.[2]
- ^ The City of Toronto maintains the portion of the park north of Wellesley Street, whereas the government of Ontario maintains and owns the property south of Wellesley Street.[3]
- ^ a b The monument was originally located in Queen's Park, although it was later severed from the rest of the park with the construction of Queen's Park Crescent.
References
- ^ a b c d e f "U of T Chronology". heritage.utoronto.ca. University of Toronto. 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ ISBN 9780771000102.
- ^ a b c d e Micallef, Shawn (5 October 2019). "Queen's Park's landscaping offers a tale of two parks". The Toronto Star. Torstar Corporation. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Queen's Park". www.toronto.ca. City of Toronto. 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "Legacy of a People's Park". Education Portal. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ^ "Queen's Park". Toronto's Historical Plaques. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Warkentin 2010, p. 50.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Cultural History of Queen's Park". www.rom.on.ca. Royal Ontario Museum. 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "King's College University « Simcoe's Gentry: Toronto's Park Lots".
- ^ a b c d e f Marsh, James H. (2 July 2015). "Toronto Feature: Queen's Park". Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d Filey 2008, p. 151.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Explore Queen's Park". www.ola.org. Government of Ontario. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d Warkentin 2010, p. 67.
- ^ a b c Warkentin 2010, p. 78.
- ^ a b c d Warkentin 2010, p. 70.
- ^ "The Platinum Jubilee Garden Unveiling". www.lgontario.ca. King's Printer for Ontario. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ Filey 2008, p. 152.
- ^ a b c d "Natural History of Queen's Park". www.rom.on.ca. Royal Ontario Museum. 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ a b Warkentin 2010, p. 36.
- ^ Filey 2008, p. 120.
- ^ a b c d e f g Warkentin 2010, p. 65.
- ^ a b c Warkentin 2010, p. 66.
- ^ a b Warkentin 2010, p. 77.
- ^ Ferguson, Rob (7 November 2023). "After years of delay, Queen Elizabeth II statue unveiled at Queen's Park". www.thestar.com. Toronto Star Newspapers. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ Warkentin 2010, p. 69.
- ^ "Celebrating Norman Bethune at U of T". www.utoronto.ca. University of Toronto. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
Further reading
- Filey, Mike (2008). Toronto: The Way We Were. Dundurn. ISBN 9781459703087.
- Warkentin, John (2010). Creating Memory: A Guide to Outdoor Public Sculpture in Toronto. Becker Associates. ISBN 9780919387607.