Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Legislative building in Queen's Park, Toronto, Canada.
The Ontario Legislative Building is a five-storey Richardsonian Romanesque structure of pink-hued Ontario sandstone with a rustic finish, its main south facade fronting University Avenue. The central block, lit by three large arched windows above the main portico, is flanked by two domed towers; the west tower was meant to hold a clock but received a rose window instead. Stone carvings, gargoyles and friezes cover the exterior, and the 1909 fire left the west wing with an added fourth floor under a long gabled roof.
The present building is the seventh structure to serve as Ontario's parliament. Richard A. Waite designed it in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, and the assembly has met at Queen's Park since 1892, with the building dating from 1893. A fire in 1909 damaged the west side, which was repaired and given an added fourth floor with wall dormers under a long gabled roof.
The chamber brings together members from across the province who conduct parliamentary work in both English and French. Visitors can watch debates from the public galleries and see how legislation is discussed and passed.
Tours through the public areas run on weekdays and explain how sessions work and details about the architecture. Visitors should arrive early as seating is limited.
Construction used more than ten million bricks manufactured in the province's prison workshops. These bricks form the inner masonry and support the entire structure behind the sandstone facade.
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