Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Ontario's new Legislative Building at Queen's Park is opened officially on April 4, 1893. 

Completion of the new Legislative Building on Front Street West in York (now Toronto). The structure had two Chambers to accommodate both the elected Legislative Assembly and the appointed Legislative Council. Image courtesy of Toronto Public Library (JRR  826).

On April 27, 1813, American troops attack York (now Toronto), occupying the town for several days and burning down the Palace of Government, meeting place of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.

Overseen by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, the elected Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada meets for the first time at Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) on September 17, 1792. 

Bill Davis succeeds John Robarts as Ontario Premier on March 1, 1971. During his terms in office, his administration increased health care and education systems in addition to expanding bilingual services. He would continue in power until his retirement in 1985.

To mark the millennium at the Legislature, two new Latin inscriptions are added to the original series of carvings that grace the Legislative Chamber - Gubernatio bona fructumparit (Good government bears fruit) and Pax sit tempus nostrum (Peace in our time).

Growth in the province leads to a growing provincial administration. The Ontario Government built the East Block (now known as the Whitney Block) to house government departments.

The United Farmers of Ontario narrowly won a victory in the October 1919 provincial election over William Hearst’s Conservatives. The party does not have a leader, although they eventually settled on the choice of progressive farmer E.C. Drury as the province’s next Premier. 

Britain declares war against Germany on August 4th, 1914, with Canada entering the war at the same time in support of its mother nation.

In 1905, James Whitney was elected as the province’s first Conservative Premier in 33 years, winning the January election with a majority.