CNE Ontario Government Building

Ontario Government Building
Liberty Grand Building

Southwest view of Ontario Government Building, 1926
General information
Type Exhibition building
Special event space
Location Exhibition Place
Address 25 British Columbia Road
Coordinates 43°38′02″N 79°24′38″W / 43.63381°N 79.41057°W / 43.63381; -79.41057
Opened 1926
Renovated 2001
Owner Canadian National Exhibition
Technical details
Structural system Steel Truss
Floor count 1
Floor area 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2)
Design and construction
Architecture firm Chapman and Oxley
Main contractor Sullivan and Fried Limited of Toronto

The Ontario Government Building, housing the "Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex", is a heritage building located in Exhibition Place in Toronto, Canada. Built in 1926 to provide exhibit space for the Government of Ontario during the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), it was eventually replaced by the Ontario Place complex. After a period of disuse, the CNE signed a long-term lease with the Liberty Grand Entertainment Group to use the building for private events.

Description

The one-storey building is built on a triangular space of land, fronting on the south-west on Lake Shore Boulevard, British Columbia Road on the north and Alberta Circle on the east. The building has a central open triangular courtyard with the three wings surrounding it. Along the property facing Lake Shore Boulevard is a large concrete plaza leading down to the road, originally to the lake. Beside the steps leading down are two carved stone lions. Each lion's pedestal bears a historical plaque.

The reinforced concrete Beaux-Arts building was designed by the architectural firm of Chapman and Oxley which designed several other public buildings in the area. The building was built between November 1925 to August 1926 by contractors Sullivan and Fried Limited of Toronto. It was originally called the New Ontario Government Buildings.[1] The exterior was very ornate, but the interior, used for exhibit space was not decorated, like a warehouse.[2]

History

The building was built to display Government of Ontario exhibits during the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). In 1971, the Government of Ontario opened the new Ontario Place park on new artificial islands on Lake Ontario just south of the site and discontinued the use of the building. It became the site of general exhibits during the CNE.

In 2000, the City of Toronto released a "Request for Proposals" for long-term development of the building. Of five proposals the CNE chose the Liberty Grand Proposal for a 20-year lease of the building.[3] The Liberty Grand group agreed to spend CA$4.95 million on renovations and pay $3.76 million in rent for the 20 years[3] to use the building as a private ballroom venue.[4] The company refinished the interior with decorations and furnishings to match the exterior. The building re-opened in 2001.[2] The building now houses four ballrooms and can accommodate 3,000 guests.[5]

Liberty Grand

The Liberty Grand has five rooms for banquets and balls.

Governors Room

This is the largest ballroom of the complex, with a capacity of up to 1500 people. With a spacious entrance and foyer, this room incorporates a grand oak staircase to the upper mezzanine level, which overlooks the courtyard and main room. Traditional French doors open the main ballroom onto the courtyard with a view of the building’s duomo.

The Renaissance Room and The Centennial Room

These two banquet rooms are a mirror image of one another. Each has a private entrance reception area with polished Italian marble floors, Renaissance columns and French doors into each ballroom. Floor-to-ceiling arched windows line the south wall of each room to exhibit a lakefront view from all angles.


References

  1. ↑ Filey, Mike. Passengers Must Not Ride the Fenders. p. 66.
  2. 1 2 "Historicist: Beaux Arts Eclecticism". Torontoist. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Proposals for the Ontario Government Building and Horticulture Building located at Exhibition Place" (PDF) (pdf). City of Toronto. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Liberty Grand". CNE.
  5. ↑ "Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex" (PDF) (pdf). Liberty Grand Entertainment Group. Retrieved August 30, 2015.

External links

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