Queen's Park, Toronto
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Queen's Park is an historic green space in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This scenic park is also home to the Ontario Legislative Assembly and seat of the Government of Ontario.
History
Queen's Park was named in 1860 in honour of Queen Victoria, by Edward, Prince of Wales (Edward VII). The Legislature was opened in 1892.Sights
The north end of the park is a British-style park dominated by large trees which provide extensive cover in summer. The north-south axis of this section is a path leading from an equestrian statue of Edward VII just north of Wellesley Street to the 48th Highlanders War Memorial at the extreme north end of the park. The statue of Edward VII is placed on a large mound with benches around it; the clearing necessary for the statue creates a picturesque focal point on sunny summer days, as it becomes by far the brightest spot in the park.
The Royal Ontario Museum, Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art and the defunct McLaughlin Planetarium are just a short walk to the north of the Park, and the University of Toronto is to the west. During the year the park is usually full of students heading to class. At night the park is often populated by students indulging in illegal substances that are banned on campus.
The south end of the park is the site of the Ontario Legislature and several commemorative sculptures, all in formal gardens. Statues to the south of the legislative building include those of Canada's first Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, educational reformer George Brown, Queen Victoria, and conservative Premier Sir James Whitney.
Government
Main articles: Ontario Legislature, Queen's Park, Legislative Assembly of OntarioAs well as being a beautiful park in the heart of the city, Queen's Park is also the seat of the provincial government. The government or the legislature building itself is often referred to, by metonymy, as "Queen's Park".
Transport
Easily accessed by road, Queen's Park is also well served by public transit. Queen's Park station on the TTC Yonge-University-Spadina subway line serves the area. The station and line were built entirely in bored tunnels (rather than using cut-and-cover construction for the station, as was the TTC's usual practice at the time) in order to avoid disrupting the Legislature. Museum station is just north of the park. The 5 Avenue Road and 94 Wellesley bus routes and the 506 Carlton streetcar route also serve the park.External links
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