The Macdonald Block Complex is a set of office buildings in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anc ...

, Ontario, Canada, that houses 12 cabinet ministers, 15 Ontario government ministries (as of 2016) and the largest concentration of Ontario public servants. Its address is 900 Bay Street, and is located just east of Queen's Park.

Layout

The complex consists of four towers: *The Ferguson Block: A 14-storey building that was completed in 1969, designed in the International Style by Shore Tilbe Henschel Irwin Architects and Engineers (now Shore Tilbe Irwin + Partners). The building is named for former

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of gov ...

George H. Ferguson, and is located at 77 Wellesley Street West. *The Hearst Block is home to Ontario's provincial Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. The building is named for former Premier

William Howard Hearst Sir William Howard Hearst, (February 15, 1864 – September 29, 1941) was the seventh premier of Ontario from 1914 to 1919. Hearst was born in Bruce County, Ontario. He practiced law in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario before being voted to provi ...

. It is ten storeys high. Designed by same firm as the Ferguson Block. *The Hepburn Block is home to various ministries, including the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The 14-storey building is named for former Ontario Premier

Mitchell Hepburn Mitchell Frederick Hepburn (August 12, 1896 – January 5, 1953) was the 11th premier of Ontario, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest premier in Ontario history, appointed at age 37. He was the only Ontario Liberal Party leader in the 20th cent ...

. Designed by same firm as the Ferguson Block in 1969. *The Mowat Block is 24 storeys high and is named after the third Premier of Ontario, Sir Oliver Mowat. Designed by same firm as the Ferguson Block in 1969. *The Macdonald Block is named after the first Premier of Ontario, Sir

John Sandfield Macdonald John Sandfield Macdonald, (December 12, 1812 – June 1, 1872) was the joint premier of the Province of Canada from 1862 to 1864. He was also the first premier of Ontario from 1867 to 1871, one of the four founding provinces created at Conf ...

. It was completed in 1968 (along with the Hepburn Block), and is located at 900 Bay Street. This block is a podium that connects the four towers along the first two storeys of each and has a bridge to the first floor of Whitney Block from its second storey. It is designed by the same firm as the Ferguson Block. Ontario Government Buildings-Aerial

History

The massive construction site for the MacDonald Block was the filming location for

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expressio ...

's last film, "The Reporter", an industrial safety short that was released under the title '' The Scribe''. In July 2016, the

Government of Ontario The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor� ...

announced an eight-year reconstruction project of the entire complex.

Nearby government buildings

Other government buildings nearby include: * Whitney Block *

Ontario Power Building The Intact Centre is an office building located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that serves as the head offices of Ontario Power Generation and Intact Financial. It was originally built in 1975 for Ontario Hydro (of which OPG is a successor company) ...

* Frost Building

References

Ferguson Block

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