Historical Building sights in Ontario
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A
Casa Loma
The mock medieval Casa Loma lords over The Annex on a cliff that was once the shoreline of the glacial Lake Iroquois, from which Lake Ontario derived. Climb the 27m Baldwin Steps up the slope from Spadina Ave, north of Davenport Rd.
The 98-room mansion – a crass architectural orgasm of castellations, chimneys, flagpoles, turrets and Rapunzel balconies – was built between 1911 and 1914 for Sir Henry Pellat, a wealthy financier who made bags of cash from his contract to provide Toronto with electricity. He later lost everything in land speculation, the resultant foreclosure forcing Hank and his wife to move out. Parking costs $3/9 per hour/day.
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B
Parliament Hill
Vast yawning archways dominate this stunning complex of copper-topped towers. The city's most picture-perfect attraction by far, Parliament is Canada's nexus of political activity. The primary building, Centre Block, supports the iconic Peace Tower, the highest structure in the city. Venture inside to peruse the hand-carved limestone and make a stop at the gorgeous library with its wood and wrought iron. Visitors are allowed to see the Commons and Senate while they're in session. Question Period in the House of Commons is particularly popular, occurring every afternoon and at 11am on Fridays. Admission is on a first-come first-served basis.
Free 45-minute tours run…
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C
Provincial Legislature
The seat of Ontario's Provincial Legislature resides in a fabulously ornate 1893 sandstone building, north of College St in Queen's Park. For some homegrown entertainment, head for the visitors' gallery when the adversarial legislative assembly is in session (Monday to Thursday March to June and September to December). Viewing is free, but security regulations are in full force. You can't write, read or applaud as the honorable members heatedly debate such pressing issues as skidoo safety. Free 30-minute tours depart from the information desk.
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D
City Hall
Much-maligned City Hall was Toronto's bold leap of faith into architectural modernity. Its twin clamshell towers, flying-saucer central structure, sexy ramps and funky mosaics were completed in 1965 to Finnish architect Viljo Revell's award-winning design. An irritable Frank Lloyd Wright called it a 'headmarker for a grave'; in a macabre twist, Revell died before construction was finished. Collect a self-guided tour pamphlet at the info desk; don't miss the geeky 1:1250 Toronto scale model in the lobby. Parking is $13.
Out the front is Nathan Phillips Square, a meeting place for skaters, demonstrators and office workers on their lunch breaks. In summer, look for the Fresh…
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E
Steam Whistle Brewing
'Do one thing and do it well,' is the motto of Steam Whistle Brewing, a microbrewery that makes only a crisp European-style pilsner.Bubbling away in a 1929 train depot, Steam Whistle continually works on being environmentally friendly, in part by using renewable energy, steam heating, all-natural (and often local) ingredients, and using super-cool ginger ale bottles that can be reused up to 40 times. During snappy tours of the premises, guides explain the brewing process in great detail. Tours depart half-hourly from 1 to 5pm and include tastings.
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Copper Cliff Museum
The Copper Cliff Museum occupies a pioneer log cabin roughly 6km west of the city center. It's filled with relics from the bygone era when settlers first entered the region to survey the land. Note the odd juxtaposition of quaint pioneer life and grumbling industry as you stare at the nearby smoke-spewing shaft affectionately known as the 'Superstack.'
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Flour Mill Heritage Museum
Similar in style to the Copper Cliff Museum, this exhibit is sited in a 1903 clapboard house with period implements, artifacts and furnishings. It tells the story of the three flour silos on Notre Dame Ave.
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F
Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre
A restored masterpiece, the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre is the world's last operating double-decker theater. Constructed in 1913, the stunning Winter Garden was built as the flagship for a vaudeville chain that never really took off, while the downstairs Elgin theater was converted into a movie house in the 1920s.
Saved from demolition in 1981, the theaters then received a $29 million facelift: bread dough was used to uncover original rose-garden frescoes, the Belgian company that made the original carpet was contacted for fresh rugs, and the floral Winter Garden ceiling was replaced, leaf by painstaking leaf. Public tours are worth every cent.
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