Queen's Park is an

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...

Downtown Toronto Downtown Toronto is the main city centre of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located entirely within the district of Old Toronto, it is approximately 16.6 square kilometres in area, bounded by Bloor Street to the northeast and Dupont Street to the nor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. Opened in 1860 by Edward, Prince of Wales, it was named in honour of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. The park is the site of the Ontario Legislative Building, which houses the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...

. The phrase "Queen's Park" is regularly used as a

metonym Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something associated with that thing or concept. For example, the word "wikt:suit, suit" may refer to a person from groups commonly wearing business attire, such ...

for the

Government of Ontario The Government of Ontario () is the body responsible for the administration of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. The term ''Government of Ontario'' refers specifically to the executive—political Minister ...

or the

. The park is nearly an

enclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is so ...

of the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

's St. George campus, which occupies most of the surrounding lands. In 1859, the land was leased by the University of Toronto to the City of Toronto government for a 999-year term. In 1880, a "portion of the Queen's Park asselected nd given tothe Government of Ontario, as a site for the erection of new Legislative and Departmental buildings". The land that is occupied by the

is owned by the

. The north park is owned by the University of Toronto and leased to the city. Ministry buildings of the Ontario government occupy other properties to the east of the park, in an area between Wellesley Street and Grosvenor Street.

History

Shortly after King's College (later renamed the

) was established in 1827, the institution purchased from two farming estates north of the Town of York (present-day Toronto), including present day Queen's Park. This was part of the from portions of three park lots: * 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. 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. 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. The building was situated within a landscaped park surrounded by tree-lined avenues, and was accessed through two gates to the north and south. While the university occupied the property it was known as ''University Park''. In 1853, the

Parliament of the Province of Canada The Parliament of the Province of Canada was the legislature for the Province of Canada, made up of the two regions of Canada West (formerly Upper Canada, later Ontario) and Canada East (formerly Lower Canada, later Quebec). Creation of the Parl ...

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. 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 The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...

during its existence. Given the park's popularity with local residents, the

municipal government of Toronto The municipal government of Toronto (Municipal corporation, incorporated as the City of Toronto) is the local government responsible for administering the city of Toronto in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. ...

entered negotiations with the university to lease the land for the purposes of creating a public park; with a 999-year lease for of land eventually formalized on 29 August 1858. 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. On 11 September 1860, the property was officially dedicated as Canada's first municipal park by Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII); and was named ''Queen's Park'', in honour of

. The park was originally planned to be opened the previous Saturday, although heavy rain led the dedication ceremony to be rescheduled to Tuesday. During the ceremony, he also laid a cornerstone for an eventual statue of Queen Victoria at the southern apex of the park. However, financial difficulties and delays would eventually see this spot be occupied by a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada. The statue for Victoria would eventually be purchased and placed near the entrance to the legislative building in 1902. 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. However, construction was delayed by inconclusive design competition, with the design commission finally awarded in 1886 to Richard A. Waite. Ownership of the southern portion of the park was also handed over to the provincial government in 1886. The Ontario Legislative Building was completed in 1892, and hosted its first legislative session on 4 April 1893. After the building's completion, Russian cannons originally placed at the southern tip of the park in 1859 were moved to the legislature's entrance. The Russian cannons were war prizes captured by British forces during the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

, and gifted to the city of Toronto by Queen Victoria 1859. Victoria Day postcard

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. During the late-19th century, the northern portion of Queen's Park also hosted a public speakers' forum on Sunday. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the park was used as a gathering point for soldiers of the

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF; French: ''Corps expéditionnaire canadien'') was the expeditionary warfare, expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed on August 15, 1914, following United Kingdom declarat ...

. In 1984, Queen's Park hosted two tree planting ceremonies for the

eastern white pine ''Pinus strobus'', commonly called the eastern white pine, northern white pine, white pine, Weymouth pine (British), and soft pine is a large pine native to eastern North America. It occurs from Newfoundland, Canada, west through the Great Lake ...

, after it was declared the province's official tree that year. The first tree planting ceremony took place on 25 May 1984 by Bob Welch, the deputy premier of Ontario in order to commemorate Arbour Day. The second tree planting ceremony also took place that year at the same location, with Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and the then-

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not pr ...

planting two eastern white pines on 29 September 1984. A plaque marks the spot of the tree plantings, and the trees that grew from it. In the early 2000s, Canadian poet Dennis Lee and poet advocate Richard Griffin led a campaign to erect a

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

of Al Purdy, another Canadian poet, on the grounds of Queen's Park. 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. 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 Bloor Street is an east–west arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct, which spans the Don River (Ontario), Don River Valley, westward into Mississauga where it ends at Central Parkway. East ...

). 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

Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division Toronto Parks and Recreation (P&R) is a division of the City of Toronto which maintains the municipal park system and delivers community recreation programs at city-operated facilities. P&R operates 1473 named parks, 839 sports fields, 137 comm ...

and includes a number of benches along paving stones, and picnic tables. The section follows the traditional

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

design, dominated by large trees that provide extensive cover during summer. The pathways radiate outwards from an

equestrian statue An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a ...

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

, which stands on a large mound at the centre of the northern section. The main north-south path runs between the equestrian statue and the 48th Highlanders of Canada Regimental Memorial at the park's northern tip. The north section of Queen's Park is the 'saluting station' for the Province of Ontario. Gun salutes are conducted here to mark special occasions including

Victoria Day Victoria Day () is a federal Canadian public holiday observed on the last Monday preceding May 25 to honour Queen Victoria, who is known as the "Mother of Confederation". The holiday has existed in Canada since at least 1845, originally on Vic ...

(fired at 1200 EDT),

Canada Day Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, is the national day of Canada. A Public holidays in Canada, federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the B ...

(fired at 1200 EDT), and

Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces me ...

(fired at 1102 EST). Other salutes are also conducted here throughout the year as dictated by protocol. 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. 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. The first portion of the Queen Elizabeth II rose gardens was dedicated in 1977, to mark the

silver jubilee of Elizabeth II The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the Silver jubilee, 25th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was celebrated with large-scale parties and parades throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth ...

. An extension to the garden was added in 2003 to mark the Queen's golden jubilee. A platinum jubilee garden featuring tobacco plants from

Massey College Massey College is the postgraduate University of Toronto#Colleges, college of the University of Toronto located at the University of Toronto#St. George campus, St. George campus in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The college was established, built and ...

Chapel Royal A chapel royal is an establishment in the British and Canadian royal households serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the royal family. Historically, the chapel royal was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarc ...

was unveiled in 2022 to mark the Queen's platinum jubilee. The gardens also feature the first plaque in the park that recognizes the area as Treaty 13 territory. The southern portion of the park also includes the "White Trillium Garden", a garden that is landscaped with white trilliums, the official floral emblem of the province. There also exists a native species garden, a garden primarily landscaped with vegetation native to the area, including eastern white cedars, hackberries, and some perennial flowers. The southern tip of the park facing University Avenue features the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada.

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 Glacial Lake Iroquois was a prehistoric proglacial lake that existed at the end of the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago. Description The lake was essentially an enlargement of the present Lake Ontario that formed because the St. ...

. Initially, the area was covered with eastern white pine,

northern red oak ''Quercus rubra'', the northern red oak, is an oak tree in the red oak group (''Quercus'' section ''Lobatae''). It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada. It has been intro ...

, and

white oak ''Quercus'' subgenus ''Quercus'' is one of the two subgenera into which the genus ''Quercus'' was divided in a 2017 classification (the other being subgenus ''Cerris''). It contains about 190 species divided among five sections. It may be calle ...

trees. 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. 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.

Transit access

Line 1 Yonge-University of the

Toronto subway The Toronto subway is a rapid transit system serving Toronto and the neighbouring city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The subway system is a rail network consisting of three heavy-capacity rai ...

runs below University Avenue, Queen's Park (the park, to one side of the legislature), and Queen's Park (the street), serving the area via its Queen's Park and

Museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

stations. Other

public transit Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of wh ...

access is provided by the 13 Avenue Road and 94 Wellesley bus routes, and the 506 Carlton streetcar route.

Memorials and monuments

Queen's Park holds a number of

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

s and war memorials to commemorate events and/or individuals. Most of them were erected during the late 19th- to early 20th century, although there are several memorials that were erected in the late-20th and early 21st century. Monuments at the park come in a variety of forms, including a number of full-length statues of persons. Several monuments are also located adjacent to Queen's Park. The park's first memorial was the Canadian Volunteer Monument. Unveiled in 1870, it is the second oldest monument in Toronto. Sculpted by Robert Reid, it was dedicated to Toronto residents that fought during the Battle of Ridgeway. A second

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

was erected in 1895, the Northwest Rebellion Monument. The monument commemorated members of the

Canadian Militia The Canadian Militia is a historical title for military units raised for the defence of Canada. The term has been used to describe sedentary militia units raised from local communities in Canada; as well as the regular army for the Province of Ca ...

and the

North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian paramilitary police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert's Land and North-Western Territory to ...

who fought during the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (), was an armed rebellion of Métis under Louis Riel and an associated uprising of Cree and Assiniboine mostly in the District of Saskatchewan, against the Government of Canada, Canadian government. Important events i ...

. Near the northern apex of Queen's Park is the 48th Highlanders of Canada Regimental Memorial, erected in 1923. In 1940, the Mackenzie monument was unveiled, commemorating

William Lyon Mackenzie William Lyon Mackenzie (March12, 1795 August28, 1861) was a Scottish-born Canadian-American journalist and politician. He founded newspapers critical of the Family Compact, a term used to identify the establishment of Upper Canada. He represe ...

, as well as the establishment of

responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive br ...

in the Province of Canada. The monument and bust were sculpted by

Walter Seymour Allward Walter Seymour Allward (18 November 1874 – 24 April 1955) was a Canadian monumental sculptor best known for the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. Featuring expressive classical figures within modern compositions, Allward's monuments evoke them ...

. In 1967, the government of Ontario unveiled the Post One Monument, commemorating the Canadian Centennial. Ontario Veterans Memorial

The Ontario Veterans' Memorial was unveiled on 17 September 2006 and commemorates Ontarians who participated in a military campaign with the Canadian military from

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation () was the process by which three British North American provinces—the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick—were united into one federation, called the Name of Canada#Adoption of Dominion, Dominion of Ca ...

to the present. The monument is tall on both ends, although it slopes into a central gathering area. The monument is a granite wall with 44 images depicting Canada's military history etched into the 24 grey granite panels. Conflicts depicted in these images includes the Fenian raids,

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, and various peacekeeping and support operations during the Cold War, and

war in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...

. The monument is topped-off by a black granite. A plaque situated next to the seating area provides a brief recount of Ontario's military history, from the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

to the war in Afghanistan. The memorial was designed by Allan Harding Mackay and landscaping firm Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg; Ontarian-born historian Jack Granatstein wrote the historical text and choose the images, while Ontarian-born poet Jane Urquhart wrote the monumental inscription. Near the southern tip of the park on the pathway towards the legislative building, there also exist two plaques affixed to boulders. The first boulder was installed in 1935, commemorating the

silver jubilee Silver Jubilee marks a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, the 25th year of a monarch's reign or anything that has completed or is entering a 25-year mark. Royal Silver Jubilees since 1750 Note: This ...

of King George V; whereas the second boulder serves as a memorial for the victims of the

Air India Flight 182 Air India Flight 182 was a passenger flight operating on the Montréal–Mirabel International Airport, Montreal–Heathrow Airport, London–Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi–Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumb ...

bombing in 1985. 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. The battalion, which partly owes its namesake to William Lyon Mackenzie, fought during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

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.

Memorials adjacent to the park

Several monuments are built adjacent to Queen's Park, separated by roadways that surround the oval-shaped park. The Canadian Volunteer Monument is located west of Queen's Park Crescent West. Three monuments have been commissioned by the government of Ontario and have been installed in locations adjacent to the southern portion of Queen's Park. In 2000, the Siggy Puchta-designed Ontario Police Memorial was dedicated to police officers who lost their lives while serving the community. A similar memorial known as the Ontario Firefighters Memorial was also designed by Puchta and unveiled in 2005, honouring firefighters who died while serving the public. The Notre Place Monument commemorates the

Franco-Ontarian Franco-Ontarians ( or if female, sometimes known as ''Ontarois'' and ''Ontaroises'') are Francophone Canadians that reside in the province of Ontario. Most are French Canadians from Ontario. In 2021, according to the Government of Ontario, ther ...

community as well as the contributions the

francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...

community made to Ontario. 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. File:FenianMonument-UofTCampusToronto-NorthFace-July5-08.jpg, Canadian Volunteer Monument File:Police Officers.JPG, Ontario Police Memorial File:Firefighter memorial Toronto.jpg, Ontario Firefighters Memorial File:Robert Raikes statue - Toronto, Canada - DSC01480.JPG, Statue of Robert Raikes File:Dr Norman Bethune Statue.jpg, Statue of Norman Bethune

Notes

References

External links

Explore Queen's Park - Legislative Assembly of Ontario

{{University of Toronto Monuments and memorials in Toronto Monuments and memorials to Queen Victoria Parks in Toronto