Architectural Politics

by Courtney Meagher

With Toronto’s municipal elections just recently behind us I found my mind wandering to civic architecture and issues of architectural politics. Specifically, I wondered what happened with the debate over protecting the viewshed of the Ontario Legislative building? The issue, which was brought all the way to the Ontario Municipal Board in May of this year, was this: buildings erected to the north of the Legislative Assembly, if built too tall, will ruin this historical and civic monument’s prominent silhouette against the sky. Should the viewshed of such a symbolic building remain unobstructed?

If asked, "what are some of Toronto’s most notable buildings?" the Ontario Legislative building would no doubt cross many peoples’ minds. Forming a terminating vista at the north end of University Avenue it was built in 1893 and designed by the architect Richard A. Waite. It is one of Toronto’s best examples of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, a style characterized by its overall massive quality: heavy, rusticated masonry, geometric massing and monumental proportions, it became a popular style for important civic buildings in North America in the late 19th century. As one of Toronto’s key civic and historical monuments, does the viewshed of the Ontario Legislative building deserve to be protected? This is what historical advocates, namely the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO), have been fighting for.

 

The battle between the developer of the proposed project and those who desired to protect the existing sightline went all the way to the Ontario Municipal Board, whose ruling in favour of the developer this past spring was mainly due to a lack of policy. Cathy Nasmith, architect, activist, and past president of the ACO explained in a comment to the Toronto Star that the ruling resulted “because the city, during a period of post-amalgamation amnesia, did not reinstate the strong prescriptive language in its Official Plan that had protected this view since the 1970s. That language was there to protect the vista from further damage after the existing structure was built.” 

In an exchange of emails with Mr. Rosario Marchese’s office I learned that Mr. Marchese introduced a private member’s bill to stop this development: Bill 95: Preserving the Dignity of the Ontario Legislative Building Act, 2010. Unfortunately, opportunities to take private member’s bills forward are severely limited. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Hon. Mr. Steve Peters, has been a strong ally in the fight to maintain the sightlines of Queen’s Park. As the head of the Legislative Assembly, he has taken the issue to the Ontario Municipal Board, and has recently forwarded it to Divisional Court, where the matter is currently awaiting a court date.

I find the common reaction to such cases to be disinterest, with the majority of the public generally apathetic towards such issues; has the art closest to us and our lives become so remote? The protection and maintenance of our urban and architectural heritage should be a government-funded policy and priority. If you feel strongly about this issue I encourage you to write a letter to the Minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing, Rick Bartolucci. Be sure to copy any correspondence to Rosario Marchese so that his office is able to track the issue and emphasize its importance:

rbartolucci.mpp@liberal.ola.org

rmarchese-co@ndp.on.ca; rosario@ndp.on.ca

To follow this issue:

http://www.rosariomarchese.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=145&Itemid=1.