Exhibition Place
Encyclopedia
Mixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, by the shoreline of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, just west of downtown
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
. The 197–acre area includes expo, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, parkland, sports facilities, and a number of civic, provincial, and national historic sites. From mid-August through Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
each year, the Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
(CNE), from which the name Exhibition Place is derived, is held on the grounds. During the CNE, Exhibition Place encompasses 260 acres (1.1 km²), expanding to include nearby parks and parking lots. The CNE features games and a midway
Midway (fair)
A midway at a fair is the location where amusement rides, entertainment and fast food booths are concentrated....
, among a host of attractions. The fair is one of the largest and most successful of its kind in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and an important part of the culture of Toronto, the province, and the nation itself. The grounds have seen a mix of protection for heritage buildings along with new development.
Five buildings on the site (the Fire Hall/Police Station, Government Building, Horticulture Building, Music Building and Press Building), all designed by George Gouinlock, were designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988.
The Site
Exhibition Place is a large area west of Toronto's downtown. The district has a variety of historic buildings, open spaces and monuments. It hosts a wide array of activities year-round, but is best known for an annual summer fair, the Canadian National ExhibitionCanadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
and the Royal Agricultural Fair. The site also has a long history of stadiums for major league baseball and football teams. The newest sports facility to be built is the soccer-specific stadium, BMO Field
BMO Field
BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
.
The site is home to Direct Energy Centre (formerly the National Trade Centre), Canada's largest trade centre, and Ricoh Coliseum
Ricoh Coliseum
Ricoh Coliseum is an ice hockey and agricultural arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto. It serves as the home arena of the Toronto Marlies, the American Hockey League farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Toronto Triumph of the Lingerie Football League. It was formerly known as the CNE...
, home to the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's Toronto Marlies
Toronto Marlies
The Toronto Marlies is a Canadian professional ice hockey team currently playing in the American Hockey League . The top affiliate of the National Hockey League 's Toronto Maple Leafs, the Marlies play at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario...
. The site plays host to various international events such as the Honda Indy Toronto
Honda Indy Toronto
The Honda Indy Toronto is an annual IndyCar Series race, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally known as the Molson Indy Toronto, it was a Champ Car World Series race held annually from 1986 to 2007...
, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, colloquially called The Royal, is an annual fall fair in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which takes place over two weeks in November...
, and many corporate and public trade shows.
The eastern entrance to Exhibition Place is marked by the Princes' Gates, a beautiful structure named for Edward, Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, and his brother, Prince George
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
, who visited in 1927. South of the grounds is Ontario Place
Ontario Place
Ontario Place is a multiple use entertainment and seasonal waterfront park attraction located in Toronto, Ontario, and owned by the Crown in Right of Ontario. It is administered as an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, just south of...
, a theme park built on landfill in Lake Ontario, and operated by the government of Ontario.
History of the Grounds
Fort Toronto (also called Fort RouilléFort Rouillé
Fort Rouillé or Fort Toronto was a French trading post located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that was established around 1750 but abandoned in 1759. The fort site is now part of the public lands of Exhibition Place...
) was built by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
fur traders in 1750–1751 as a trading post on the site of today's grounds. The area was an important portage route for Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, and the French wanted to capture their trade before they reached British posts. A small fort, it was burned by its garrison in 1759 as other French posts fell to the British on Lake Ontario.
The site witnessed two invasions of United States troops into York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
(Toronto) during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. The first, on April 27, 1813, saw 1,700 soldiers come ashore to begin a six-day occupation of the town, during which they looted and burned edifices, including the Parliament Buildings. Three months later, on July 31, a force of 300 came ashore at or very near the grounds. Unopposed, they seized food and supplies in town, and burned military installations before departing. Half Moon Bay, Toronto is located to the south of the site was also a location of another military battery (Half Moon Bay Battery).
Years later, the British decided to replace old Fort York
Fort York
Fort York is a historic site of military fortifications and related buildings on the west side of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The fort was built by the British Army and Canadian militia troops in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, to defend the settlement and the new capital of the...
to the east with a new fort
New Fort York
New Fort York was built to replace Toronto's original Fort York at the mouth of Garrison Creek as the primary military base for the settlement. Unlike the older fort, it was not made of wood.-History:...
at the site of today's Exhibition Place. In 1840–1841, they constructed a series of seven limestone buildings and several smaller ones. Elaborate defensive works were never built, and the fort was turned over to Canada in 1870, which named it Stanley Barracks in 1893. It was garrisoned until 1947, then used for public housing through the early 1950s, when all but the officers' quarters were demolished. That building became Toronto's Marine Museum in the 1950s until it departed for a downtown pier in 1997. Both the Barracks and Museum are now closed.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
was chosen as host, Toronto decided to hold its own fair. First called the Toronto Industrial Exhibition, it began an annual tradition that, since 1904, has been known as the Canadian National Exhibition—affectionately called "The Ex." Only five summers since 1879—all in the era of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
—have not seen The Ex herald the end of summer vacation. None of the original 19th century buildings survive, but the oldest existing exhibition buildings are about 100 years old, and comprise a national historic site, including the Press Building (1905), the oldest among them.
The Post-World War I Years
When the CNE became the world's largest annual fair in 1920, a 50-year plan was launched following the urban design and architectural precedents of the 1893 World's Columbian ExpositionWorld's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Chapman and Oxley
Chapman and Oxley
Chapman and Oxley was a Toronto, Ontario, Canada - based architectural firm and responsible for designing a number of Beaux Arts buildings in the city in the 1920s and 1930s...
prepared the 1920 plan, which emphasized Beaux-Arts architecture and City Beautiful
City Beautiful movement
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy concerning North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The movement, which was originally associated mainly with Chicago,...
urban design. It was at this point that the Exhibition grounds were expanded to the west and to the east, as well as to the south, where reclaimed land
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
was used to build Lake Shore Boulevard (originally "Boulevard Drive"), connecting downtown with Toronto's growing western suburbs.
The Empire Court was to be a monumental central space with a triumphal gate and monumental exhibition buildings with courtyards. In the end, several buildings and structures were built as part of the plan such as the Government of Ontario Building in 1926, the Princes' Gates in 1927, and the Electrical and Engineering Building in 1928, but by the 1930s, the Beaux-Arts style faded in popularity. Arguably the start of the trend for a new style of architecture was becoming already evident in the construction of the Automotive Building in 1929, the first building that moved away from the Beaux-Art architecture envisioned by the 1920 plan, mixing clean modern lines with classical ornamentation. Subsequent buildings and structures were strikingly modern, and after the Second World War, Modernism came to dominate architectural projects at Exhibition Place.
The Second World War
During the Second World War the CNE became Toronto's main training grounds. The CNE, and virtually all other non-military uses of the lands ceased. The CNE was not held between 1942 and 1946, when the land and its facilities were turned over to the Department of National DefenceDepartment of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
as a training ground. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was used as a demobilization centre.
The CNE would resume again in 1947, as the Canadian military returned the grounds back to its civilian administrators. Soon, the CNE turned away from a provincial, agricultural focus, and moved towards an increasingly modern, cosmopolitan look and feel.
The Modernist Movement
The first opportunity to place a Modernist look to the CNE grounds post-war came in 1946, when the third Exhibition Stadium burned down. In its place was built the fourth Exhibition Stadium, a massive concrete construction and monumental cantilevered steel roof was a sharp contrast to the other buildings around it.The Modernist trend continued with the construction of other buildings and monuments typifying the modernist style including the Food Building 1954, the Shell Oil Tower 1955, Queen Elizabeth II Building 1957, the Princess Margaret Fountain 1958 and the new Dufferin Gates 1959. The modernist design trend culminated in the Better Living Centre, built in 1962, which came with a distinctive Mondrian
Piet Mondrian
Pieter Cornelis "Piet" Mondriaan, after 1906 Mondrian , was a Dutch painter.He was an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement and group, which was founded by Theo van Doesburg. He evolved a non-representational form which he termed Neo-Plasticism...
-inspired ornament on its roof. The 1971 Master Plan was radical, calling for the demolition of many pre-World War II buildings, new Modern buildings, and a massive central public space with landscaping such as reflecting pool and fountains on the site of Exhibition Stadium, which was to be relocated. This plan resulted in some demolition, such as the Electrical and Engineering Building in 1972 (allegedly in poor structural condition) but faded in influence as Exhibition Stadium was not demolished until 1999, and thus allowing no opportunity to construct its centrepiece, the central public space.
Recent History
In the early 1970s a permanent amusement park called Ontario PlaceOntario Place
Ontario Place is a multiple use entertainment and seasonal waterfront park attraction located in Toronto, Ontario, and owned by the Crown in Right of Ontario. It is administered as an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, just south of...
was built on artificial islands to the south of Exhibition Place (accessible via two foot bridges). Its features are more 'kid-friendly' and based on a more creative sense of fun. It was also home to a famous warship, HMCS Haida, until 2003, when she was moved to Hamilton.
In July 2005, the City of Toronto asked for aquarium proposals from private enterprises. The only two respondents, Ripley's Entertainment
Ripley's Entertainment
Created by the success of Ripley's Believe it or Not!, Ripley Entertainment Inc. is a large entertainment and edutainment holding company owned by the Jim Pattison Group...
and Oceanus Holdings, suggested that they would be interested provided the location was closer downtown, or had better transit access and parking.
Exhibition Place is also home to the Toronto Windmill, a WindShare
WindShare
WindShare is a for-profit wind power co-operative that was officially launched in February 2002 in Toronto, Canada. It was created by the non-profit Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative which was incorporated in 1998...
wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
, and is home to an annual IndyCar
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
race, the Honda Indy Toronto
Honda Indy Toronto
The Honda Indy Toronto is an annual IndyCar Series race, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally known as the Molson Indy Toronto, it was a Champ Car World Series race held annually from 1986 to 2007...
, formerly known as the Molson Indy Toronto.
The Stadia of Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place was also home to Exhibition StadiumExhibition Stadium
Canadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
, which was built out of the fourth Grandstand by adding two extra wings of seats. The original grandstand had been constructed in the late 1800s and was re-modelled, replaced, or destroyed over the years. It served as home to the CFL's Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
between 1958 and 1988 and the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
(AL) between 1977 and 1989. The two teams left for SkyDome (now Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
) in 1989. After it lost many stadium concert tours to Rogers Centre, and many other outdoor concerts to the nearby Molson Amphitheatre at Ontario Place
Ontario Place
Ontario Place is a multiple use entertainment and seasonal waterfront park attraction located in Toronto, Ontario, and owned by the Crown in Right of Ontario. It is administered as an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, just south of...
, its usefulness was at an end. Considered an eyesore by some — although architecturally attractive, particularly in the original Grandstand section — the stadium was demolished in 1999 to serve as parking and allow a more sprawling midway. However, on October 26, 2005, the city of Toronto approved the construction of a 20,000 seat soccer stadium (BMO Field
BMO Field
BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
) on Exhibition Place land.
Exhibition Stadium (former stadium)
Exhibition Stadium
Canadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
built in 1948. Designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s Marani and Morris, this building was the first of what would prove to be several Modernist
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
buildings built on the CNE grounds, its distinctive and bold cantilevered truss roof dominating the grounds for over 50 years. It initially housed 22,000 people, but was expanded over the years to a maximum of 54,000 in order to accommodate the additional seating required for major professional sports teams who made the Grandstand their home. It became the home base for the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
football team, and later, to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
baseball team.
A race track on the grounds marked a historical race; on July 18, 1958, Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
made his NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) debut on the race track at Exhibition Stadium.
In addition to sports, Exhibition Stadium was the stage for many entertainers over the years. Famous comedians who were featured there included Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, Victor Borge
Victor Borge
Victor Borge ,born Børge Rosenbaum, was a Danish comedian, conductor and pianist, affectionately known as The Clown Prince of Denmark,The Unmelancholy Dane,and The Great Dane.-Early life and career:...
, and Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
. Similarly, many well-known musical acts made an appearance at the venue, ranging from Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, Guy Lombardo
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
, Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
(appearing there 11 times between 1974 and 1990), The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, Sonny and Cher, to Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
, Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
and Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
.
The Blue Jays and Argos left the open-air Exhibition Stadium for the retractable roofed Skydome (now, the Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
) in 1989. By that time it was recognized that the building was beginning to visibly decay, and was little used in its final decade of existence. Though it was the earliest of the modernist-style buildings on the grounds, it was the only one not to be become a historically listed building. It was finally demolished in 1999.
BMO Field (current stadium)
The new "National Soccer Stadium at Exhibition Place" known as BMO FieldBMO Field
BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
is a soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
, and is home to Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
, the Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS) team that began play in 2007 and is owned by MLSE, as well as the Canadian national soccer team
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
. Capacity is approximately 20,000 people and is owned by the City of Toronto. National Soccer Stadium opened on April 28, 2007, coinciding with the start of the 2007 MLS season. The BMO Field is south of the 'Food Building', on the former site of the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
. Under the FIFA-sanctioned name "National Soccer Stadium", it was the centre piece venue for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
, won by Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
.
BMO Field continued the tradition of hosting open-air stadium concerts at Exhibition Place, beginning in early October 2007 with Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, which had played Exhibition Stadium nineteen years earlier.
The Buildings of Exhibition Place
While the CNE only lasts for a few weeks at the end of the summer, many major permanent buildings and other structures have been built over the years to house specific venues, or to commemorate specific events.Buildings Overview
In the West Block there are five fair buildings designed by architect George Gouinlock: the Horticulture Building (now leased as a club), the Dominion Government or Arts, Crafts, and Hobbies Building (which has for the past decade hosted Canada's only Medieval TimesMedieval Times
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting performed by a cast of 75 actors and 20 horses. Each location is housed in a replica 11th-century castle, with the exception of the Toronto location, which is housed...
), the Music Building (occupied by Immersion Studios), the Press Building, and a Firehall. The Ontario Government Building (currently operated and refurbished by the Liberty Grand event corporation) was created in 1926 and is one of the most architecturally stunning structures on the grounds. There are also two bandshells, one of which is an historic building, and a fair-sized park for relaxation. All of these buildings date from close to the turn of the 20th century.
The East Block is dominated by Direct Energy Centre (which hosts large trade shows and routinely serves as Toronto's centre of Chartered Financial Analyst
Chartered Financial Analyst
The Chartered Financial Analyst Program is a graduate level self-study program offered by the CFA Institute to investment and financial professionals...
examinations). Direct Energy Centre has swallowed the two buildings behind it, the Coliseum (recently remodeled and reopened as the RICOH Coliseum) and the Industry Building. The Horse Palace (which adjoins the Coliseum and is used for equine shows and quartering), the Automotive Building (which was once used for car shows and is being turned into a conference centre), the Stanley Barracks Officers Quarters, and the General Services Building are all older exhibition buildings dating from around the 1920s.
The other main gate into Exhibition Place is the Dufferin Gate. It resembles the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, but is actually several years older.
Allstream Centre
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
Automotive Building was constructed in 1929, designed by local architect Douglas Kertland
Douglas Kertland
Douglas Edwin Kertland was a Canadian rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was a coxswain of the Canadian boat, which won the bronze medal in the eights.-External links:**...
. Located immediately inside the entrance to the Princes' Gates on the south side of Princes Boulevard, the building was initially used to display the latest car models to the public.
During World War II, this building was the home to Toronto's naval reserve, known as HMCS York
HMCS York
HMCS York is a Canadian Forces Naval Reserve Division located in Toronto, Ontario. Before the move to its current location on Lake Shore Boulevard West, it had been situated on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition...
. A commemorative plaque to this can be found on the north side of the building.
Its original purpose was arguably superseded in 1973 when the Canadian International Autoshow
Canadian International AutoShow
The Canadian International AutoShow, CIAS for short, is Canada's largest auto show and most prestigious consumer event in Canada. This event has been held in Toronto, Ontario since 1974 and is currently located in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and spans into the Rogers Centre...
appeared elsewhere in the city during the spring, closer in time to when new car models appear than in late August when the CNE starts.
In more recent years of the CNE, the Automotive Building had regularly hosted the "Farm, Food and Fun" displays, which had previously been hosted in the Agricultural Centre across the street. The building was renamed the Allstream Centre in October 2009 and is currently Canada's most environmentally responsible conference centre.
The building hosted World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE) Axxess in 2002, the fanfest prelude to WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8 was the eighteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 17, 2002 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The event marked the final WrestleMania event under the WWF name...
.
Bandshell
Inspired by the Hollywood BowlHollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
, the Art Deco-styled Bandshell on the CNE grounds was built in 1936 according to designs prepared by the Toronto architectural firm of Craig and Madill. It is situated on the west side of the grounds, and over the years has been host to many famous acts, including Guy Lombardo
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
, Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, The Guess Who
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
, and Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
. More recently the likes of Susan Aglukark
Susan Aglukark
Susan Aglukark, OC , is an Inuk musician whose blend of Inuit folk music traditions with country and pop songwriting has made her a major recording star in Canada. Her most successful single is "O Siem", which reached #1 on the Canadian country and adult contemporary charts in 1995...
, Moxy Früvous
Moxy Früvous
Moxy Früvous was a politically satirical folk-pop band from Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. The band was founded in 1989, and was active throughout the 1990s...
, and Bob Newhart
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart , known professionally as Bob Newhart, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Noted for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery, Newhart came to prominence in the 1960s when his album of comedic monologues The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was a worldwide...
have played the open air venue.
The adjacent park is known as Bandshell Park. It also hosts a carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
on its grounds.
On August 25, 2003, as part of the CNE's 125th anniversary celebrations, and as part of Kid's Day, a Guinness World Record was set by the Bandshell as Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
's Elmo
Elmo
Elmo is a Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is a furry red monster and currently hosts the last full 15 minute segment on Sesame Street, Elmo's World, which is aimed at toddlers. His puppeteer, Kevin Clash, uses falsetto to produce his voice...
hosted the largest Hokey Pokey
Hokey Pokey
The hokey cokey or hokey pokey , also known as the okey cokey, hokey tokey, or cokey cokey, is a participation dance with a distinctive accompanying tune and lyric structure. It is well known in English-speaking countries...
song and dance routine.
Better Living Centre
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
buildings on the site, the original purpose of the Better Living Centre was introduce new ranges of consumer goods to the baby boomer generation, making it a "space of encounter between consumer and product". For many people attending the CNE, the building hosted their first encounters with such technologies as colour television, transistor radio
Transistor radio
A transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver using transistor-based circuitry. Following their development in 1954 they became the most popular electronic communication device in history, with billions manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s...
s or home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
s. It also became the place where people would expect to see the latest models of various consumer goods, ranging from vacuum cleaners to kitchen appliances.
The building's stark modernist architecture, made up of large white forms, a vast flat roof and harsh angles, suited its futurist themes. The building was designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s Marani, Morris and Allan and was opened by Toronto mayor Nathan Phillips
Nathan Phillips (politician)
Nathan Phillips, KC was a Canadian politician and popular Mayor of Toronto, Ontario.-Early life:Born in Brockville, Ontario, the son of Jacob Phillips and Mary Rosenbloom, he was educated in public and high schools in Cornwall. In 1908, he articled with the Cornwall lawyer, Robert Smith, who later...
on August 17, 1962. It was built on the former site of the Manufacturer building, which burned down in 1962.
In recent years, the Better Living Centre no longer serves its original purpose of introducing consumers to the latest and greatest products. Instead it has been divided in two, with one half now devoted to a casino, the other to the "Farm, Food and Fun" pavilion.
Dufferin Gates
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Dufferin Street
Dufferin Street is a major north-south street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a concession road, two concessions west of Yonge Street. The street starts at the foot of Lake Ontario, continues north to Toronto's northern boundary with some discontinuities and continues into York Region where it...
. The original gateway was erected in 1895, and was superseded by a more permanent, ornate Beaux-Arts style triumphal arch built in 1910, and officially re-opened by Lord Dufferin in 1914.
With the construction of Toronto's Gardiner Expressway
Gardiner Expressway
The Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway, colloquially referred to as "the Gardiner", is a municipal expressway in the Canadian province of Ontario, connecting downtown Toronto with its western suburbs...
in 1956, the gates were demolished in order to make way for the roadway. In their place a modernist-style parabolic
Parabola
In mathematics, the parabola is a conic section, the intersection of a right circular conical surface and a plane parallel to a generating straight line of that surface...
arch was erected 50 ft (15.2 m) south of the previous gates in 1956, designed Philip R. Brock. The current arch is built around a steel frame and concrete, with brick at the base. It is 65 ft (19.8 m) high and spans 74 ft (22.6 m) in width. The star decoration that hangs from the top of the arch was added during Canada's centennial celebrations in 1967.
A plaque from the Ontario Heritage Foundation commemorating the history of the CNE can be found just inside the gate.
TTC Route 29, originating at Wilson Station
Wilson (TTC)
Wilson is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the median of Allen Road at 570 Wilson Avenue.2257 parking spaces surround the station in four commuter lots.-History:...
heads down to this entranceway from the Dufferin TTC station
Dufferin (TTC)
Dufferin is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 1126 Bloor Street West at Dufferin Street...
.
Fort Rouillé Monument
See: Fort RouilléFort Rouillé
Fort Rouillé or Fort Toronto was a French trading post located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that was established around 1750 but abandoned in 1759. The fort site is now part of the public lands of Exhibition Place...
.jpg)
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
marks the spot where the original French-built Fort Rouillé
Fort Rouillé
Fort Rouillé or Fort Toronto was a French trading post located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that was established around 1750 but abandoned in 1759. The fort site is now part of the public lands of Exhibition Place...
(also known as Fort Toronto) was erected in 1750 and 1751. Its construction was ordered by the Marquis de la Jonquière, then governor of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
, in order to further establish a French presence in the area, and to intercept the trade of Indians traveling towards an English fur-trading post in present-day Oswego
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
. It was a small palisaded fort with a bastion at each of its four corners, and containing five main buildings: a corps de garde, storeroom, barracks, blacksmithy, and a building for the officers. A drawing purported to date from 1749 shows the fort adjacent to Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, whereas today it is situated on top of a small hill a hundred meters or so from the lake's current shoreline.
The fort was abandoned and burned by the French garrison in July 1759, who were retreating from invading English forces. Vestiges of the fort remained for many years afterwards, but the site was graded over and sodded in preparation for the establishment of the nearby Scadding Cabin in 1879.
The grounds were excavated in 1979 and 1980 by the Toronto Historical Board, and again in 1982 by the Youth Committee of the Toronto Sesquicentennial Board. The outline of the original fort has been marked out in concrete around the obelisk. Two commemorative plaques — one in English, and one in French — are attached to the base of the obelisk, placed there by the Ontario Heritage Foundation. To the north a third plaque commemorates the excavation done on the site, and to the west a fourth plaque commemorates a visit to the site by Bertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë is a French politician, and has been the mayor of Paris since 2001. He is member of the Socialist Party . Delanoë was born in Tunis, Tunisia to a French-Tunisian father and a French mother...
, mayor of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, on September 6, 2003.
The obelisk is surrounded by two cannons and a mortar, dating from the 1850s. Perhaps ironically, they are all British.
Press Building
This building was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by architect G.W. Gouinlock, who went on to design several buildings on the grounds. A plaque dedicated to his work stands in front of the Press Building. It was once part of a formal plaza that originally boasted the Gooderham Fountain, also designed by Gouinlock, since replaced by the Princess Margaret Fountain in 1958. In 2005 the building celebrated its centennial. The Press Building, along with the nearby Fire Hall, Police Station, Railways (Music) Building, Horticulture, and Government buildings, are collectively designated Early Exhibition Buildings National Historic Site. Tours of the building are available.
Princes' Gates
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
(later Edward VIII), and George
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
(later The Duke of Kent), on August 31, 1927, during that year's CNE. They were built in the Beaux-Arts style to celebrate Canada's 60th anniversary of Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
, and were originally to be called "The Diamond Jubilee of Confederation Gates." but the name was changed when it was found that the Princes were touring Canada the year of its dedication. They were opened on August 30, 1927 by Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince of Wales and Prince George.
First to pass through the gate was a Veterans Parade, a tradition that later became the annual Warriors' Day Parade.
The gates are made of a mix of stone and concrete. The statue at the top of the arch is the "Goddess of Winged Victory," an interpretation of the original Winged Victory of Samothrace
Winged Victory of Samothrace
The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace, is a 2nd century BC marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike . Since 1884, it has been prominently displayed at the Louvre and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world.-Description:The Nike of Samothrace,...
, designed by architect Alfred Chapman of Chapman and Oxley
Chapman and Oxley
Chapman and Oxley was a Toronto, Ontario, Canada - based architectural firm and responsible for designing a number of Beaux Arts buildings in the city in the 1920s and 1930s...
, and carved by Charles McKechnie. In her hand she holds a single maple leaf. There are nine pillars to either side of the main arch, representing the nine Canadian provinces in existence at the time of construction. Flanking the central arch are various figures representing progress, industry, agriculture, arts and science. The gates were designed by Chapman & Oxley in Beaux-Arts style.
During the fall of 1986 the Winged Victory statue was taken down and found to be seriously deteriorating. It was subsequently replaced by a glass-reinforced polymer plastic copy in 1987, designed and fabricated by Engineered Plastics Inc. of Oakville, Ontario, to withstand the elements for over a century. That same year the gates officially became a listed building under the Ontario Heritage Act
Ontario Heritage Act
The Ontario Heritage Act, first enacted on March 5, 1975, allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate individual properties and districts in the Province of Ontario, Canada, as being of cultural heritage value or interest....
.
The Scadding Cabin
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John Scadding
John Scadding was an early settler in York, Upper Canada . He served as clerk to Upper Canada's first lieutenant governor John Graves Simcoe....
, who served as clerk (essentially, an executive assistant) to the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
.
It is a squat, two-storey log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
with low ceilings, designed to retain the heat from the fire in winter close to its occupants. It is said that John Graves Simcoe, who was over 6 ft (1.8 m) tall, had to stoop in order to enter the building.
Scadding was given a plot of land from what is now just north of Gerrard Street East, south to the waterfront. The cabin was built close to the Don River's east side, on what is now part of the Don Valley Parkway
Don Valley Parkway
The Don Valley Parkway is a controlled-access six-lane municipal expressway in Toronto connecting the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto with Ontario Highway 401, the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway. North of Highway 401, it continues as Ontario Highway 404. The parkway runs through...
, just south of Queen Street East.
Scadding sold the property in 1818 to William Smith. In 1879, his son William Smith offered the cabin to the York Pioneers, a local historical society. Around this time someone mistook the information concerning the original owner for the cabin, leading to it being erroneously called "The Governor Simcoe cabin". The original cabin was disassembled from its original site and rebuilt by the York Pioneers, along with an adjacent cabin made out of new logs, on the current site, just in time for the original Toronto Industrial Exhibition in 1879.
John Scadding's youngest son, Henry Scadding
Henry Scadding
Henry Scadding was a Canadian author and clergyman.Scadding was born in Dunkeswell, Devon, England, and migrated to Canada with his parents, John Scadding and Melicent Triggs, in 1821. He was educated at Upper Canada College and at St. John's College at Cambridge University, Cambridge, England,...
wrote an early history of York/Toronto and set the record straight on who the original owner of the cabin was. When he died in 1901, the York Pioneers renamed it "The Scadding Cabin", in honour of this son of the original owner, who had also been a past president of their society.
The building as it now stands is little changed from its original construction. Apparently an additional 7 ft (2.1 m) extension that would have appeared to the south of the building was not moved. The second cabin constructed next to it by the York Pioneers was built using wood that was too green, and it was demolished a few years after construction. Over the years some of the timbers have been replaced, and the cabin was remounted on a stone foundation in the late part of the 20th century. Inside the cabin are furnishings appropriate to a house in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
in the 1830s, and some known to have belonged to Simcoe.
Shrine Peace Memorial
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Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
es, was presented to the people of Canada on June 12, 1930 by the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (better known as the Shriners
Shriners
The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870, is an appendant body to Freemasonry, based in the United States...
) as a symbol of peace and friendship between the United States and Canada. It is also meant as "an ongoing reminder that Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
actively promotes the ideals peace, harmony, and prosperity for all humankind".
The monument was originally dedicated on the final day of a Shriners summit held in Toronto that year. It was dedicated by the Imperial Potentate of the Shrine of North America, Leo V. Youngworth, and formally received by George S. Henry, who was the Potentate of Rameses Temple No. 33 of Toronto. Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King was present at the dedication ceremony and over the radio publicly thanked the Shriners for the gift to the city of Toronto and to the Canadian nation.
The statue was created by sculptor Charles Keck
Charles Keck
Charles Keck was an American sculptor, born in New York City. He studied in the National Academy of Design and Art Students League with Philip Martiny and was an assistant to Augustus Saint-Gaudens from 1893 to 1898. He also attended the American Academy in Rome. He is best known for his...
, who was a member of the Kismet Temple of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. A bench surrounds the statue, bearing the words "PEACE BE ON YOU", and its response "ON YOU BE THE PEACE", both of which make up the Shrine motto. The statue and bench is surrounded by a circular fountain.
In 1962 the monument was relocated and re-dedicated at its current location. It was again re-dedicated by the Shriners in 1989. The surrounding gardens and fountain were erected by the Toronto Parks Department, which was re-dedicated to the cause of peace by then Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
on August 20, 1958.
It is situated immediately south of the Bandshell, and is the focal point of the surrounding rose garden.
Other buildings and structures
- Direct Energy Centre is the newest building (excluding the BMO Field stands) at Exhibition Place in TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. It has 10 exhibit halls with 1 million square feet (90,000 m²) of space. It is connected to the Ricoh ColiseumRicoh ColiseumRicoh Coliseum is an ice hockey and agricultural arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto. It serves as the home arena of the Toronto Marlies, the American Hockey League farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Toronto Triumph of the Lingerie Football League. It was formerly known as the CNE...
and the Automotive Building. Home to the Toronto International Boat Show, the National Home Show, the One of A Kind Show, and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. - Coliseum (1922, now part of the Ricoh ColiseumRicoh ColiseumRicoh Coliseum is an ice hockey and agricultural arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto. It serves as the home arena of the Toronto Marlies, the American Hockey League farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Toronto Triumph of the Lingerie Football League. It was formerly known as the CNE...
) - an example of Beaux-Arts design - Exhibition StadiumExhibition StadiumCanadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
(no longer extant; originally 1879, fourth and final version demolished 1999) - Fire Hall & Police Station was a Tudor Revival building built in 1912 by George W. Gouinlock and used by Toronto Police, Toronto Fire Services and Toronto EMS during the CNE.
- The Food Building was originally built in 1921, current building dates to 1954. Water cascades down the windows of the east and west entrances to the building.
- The Medieval TimesMedieval TimesMedieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting performed by a cast of 75 actors and 20 horses. Each location is housed in a replica 11th-century castle, with the exception of the Toronto location, which is housed...
Building in TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was formerly known as Government Building and later as Arts, Crafts and Hobbies Building. it was a Beaux-Arts structure built in 1912 by architect G. W. Gouinlock, in a similar style to the Horticulture Building. - Horse Palace (1931) used to host the bulk of the annual Royal Agricultural Winter FairRoyal Agricultural Winter FairThe Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, colloquially called The Royal, is an annual fall fair in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which takes place over two weeks in November...
. The Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
building was considered the best equestrian facility in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
when it was built. It has been described as one of the finest Art Deco Buildings in the City of Toronto and possibly in the province and/or nation. The Art Deco elements of the Horse Palace include a hard-edged angular composition, cubist forms and strong horizontal and vertical planes. The low relief sculptured friezes of horses located on the exterior of the building are also indicative of the Art Deco style of design. Since 1931, the Toronto Police have had a Mounted Unit temporarily stationed in the Horse Palace during the Canadian National ExhibitionCanadian National ExhibitionCanadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
and Royal Agricultural Winter FairRoyal Agricultural Winter FairThe Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, colloquially called The Royal, is an annual fall fair in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which takes place over two weeks in November...
. In 1968 a Mounted Unit took up residence in the Horse Palace on a year-round basis, while other Mounted Units were stationed in various other stables across the city. In the late 1990s, Toronto Police decided to bring all the mounted units together in one place. To do this, the stables at Exhibition Place underwent major renovations. On July 25, 2000, the Mounted Unit of the Toronto Police moved into its new home in the Horse Palace. This brought all of the Mounted Unit’s personnel together in one facility for the first time in 100 years. - The Horticulture Building was built in 1907 to replace the Crystal Palace. It is similar in style as the Medieval Times Building (Beaux-Arts), but without the towers at the sides. The building was used as a temporary morgue the day after a fire destroyed the SS NoronicSS NoronicThe SS Noronic was a passenger ship that was destroyed by fire in Toronto Harbour in September 1949 with serious loss of life.-The ship:SS Noronic was launched June 2, 1913 in Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada...
in 1949. - The Liberty Grand Building is a banquet hall and events theatre building. The Beaux-Art structure was built in 1926 by Chapman and OxleyChapman and OxleyChapman and Oxley was a Toronto, Ontario, Canada - based architectural firm and responsible for designing a number of Beaux Arts buildings in the city in the 1920s and 1930s...
as the Government of Ontario Building. - The Immersion Studio in TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
was constructed as the Railways Building in 1907, designed for the GTR, CB, and CP Railways by Exhibition Place architect George W. Gouinlock. It was most familiarly known as the Music Building before its current occupancy. It was nearly destroyed by a fire in 1987 and since then has been restored for private use. It is built in a Beaux-Arts style. - Princess Margaret Fountain (1958)
- The Queen Elizabeth Building was completed in 1957 as the Women's Building. The Exhibit Hall is used year round and the offices were once occupied by the CNE Association and Board. It is home to the Arts, Crafts and Hobbies during the running of the Ex.
- The CNE General Services Building was built in 1912 for Ontario HydroOntario HydroOntario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
and now used to house the CNE Archives. - Ricoh ColiseumRicoh ColiseumRicoh Coliseum is an ice hockey and agricultural arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto. It serves as the home arena of the Toronto Marlies, the American Hockey League farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Toronto Triumph of the Lingerie Football League. It was formerly known as the CNE...
, indoor hockey rink and multipurpose facility. Home to the Toronto MarliesToronto MarliesThe Toronto Marlies is a Canadian professional ice hockey team currently playing in the American Hockey League . The top affiliate of the National Hockey League 's Toronto Maple Leafs, the Marlies play at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario...
of the AHLAmerican Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. - CNE Flagpole, erected in 1977, to replace the original flagpole installed in 1930. Atop the CNE Flagpole is a copper ball with a time capsule with materials from the 1930 and 1977 installations. The copper ball was manufactured by James Gow and Company of Toronto, and is the same one that sat atop the 1930 flagpole.
- McGillivray Fountain stands in the north-western end of the grounds, a modern-art concrete sculpture creation dedicated to a former president of the Exhibition.
- Toronto Windmill (Exhibition Place Turbine), a 91-metre windmill belonging to WindShareWindShareWindShare is a for-profit wind power co-operative that was officially launched in February 2002 in Toronto, Canada. It was created by the non-profit Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative which was incorporated in 1998...
co-operative, erected on December 18, 2002, is the first wind turbineWind turbineA wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
installed in a major North American urban city centre. The turbine production capacity helps displace up to 380 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, which is the equivalent of taking 1,300 cars off the road or planting 30,000 trees each year.
Race course
Since 1986, Exhibition Place has hosted an IndyCarAmerican Championship Car Racing
Since 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars. The championship has been under the auspices of several different sanctioning bodies since 1909. Since 1911, the Indianapolis...
/Champ Car
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
race, currently sponsored as the Honda Indy Toronto
Honda Indy Toronto
The Honda Indy Toronto is an annual IndyCar Series race, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally known as the Molson Indy Toronto, it was a Champ Car World Series race held annually from 1986 to 2007...
. The race is held annually in July. In addition to the IndyCar race, several support races are held, including Indy Lights and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series , commonly abbreviated as NCATS, is a national NASCAR racing series in Canada that is based from the old CASCAR Super Series which was founded in 1981.-History:...
, as well as vendor exhibits, concerts, and other off-track activities.
The track layout uses local roads that wind through and around Exhibition Place and is commonly referred to as the "Streets of Toronto" circuit. The Start/Finish line is located on Princes' Boulevard, slightly west of Newfoundland Drive. From the Start/Finish line, drivers head East towards the Princes' Gates, turning right (south) onto Canada Boulevard before reaching the gate. From Canada Boulevard, the track blends onto Lake Shore Boulevard (west) which comprises the longest straightaway on the circuit (this straightaway is sometimes incorrectly referred to as Shoreline Drive during race telecasts; Shoreline Drive is the start-finish straight at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach). Drivers re-enter the Exhibition grounds at Ontario Drive, heading North towards Prince's Boulevard where they turn left (west). The circuit continues on to Manitoba Drive and heads north-east then east until reaching Nova Scotia Avenue. At Nova Scotia Avenue, drivers turn right (south) then navigate a left-right-left series of turns until rejoining Prince's Boulevard and heading east towards the Start/Finish line.
Exhibition Place is one of seven Canadian circuits to hold an Indy/Champ Car race, the others being Mosport
Mosport
Mosport International Raceway is a multi-track facility located north of Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The facility features a , 10-turn road course; a half-mile paved oval; a 2.4 km advance driver and race driver training facility with a quarter-mile skid pad Mosport International Raceway...
, Concord Pacific Place
Molson Indy Vancouver
Molson Indy Vancouver was an annual Champ Car race held in a street circuit near B.C. Place and running past Science World in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada held in July or August from 1990 to 2004....
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Edmonton City Centre Airport, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a motor racing circuit, venue for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series....
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, and Sanair Super Speedway
Sanair Super Speedway
Sanair Super Speedway is a .826 mile paved triangular oval race track. The facility also holds a quarter mile dragstrip. It is located in Saint-Pie, Quebec. It hosted the Molson Indy Montreal from 1984 to 1986...
.
Public Transit
The grounds are well-connected to city and regional public transit systems. A commuter rail station (Exhibition GO Station) serves the grounds. Exhibition Place is also connected to city transit by streetcar on the Harbourfront509 Harbourfront
509 Harbourfront is a streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission.-History:The Harbourfront LRT, originally designated 604 Harbourfront, began service in 1990...
and Bathurst Street lines at the Exhibition Loop
Exhibition Loop (TTC)
Exhibition Loop is the terminus for the 511 Bathurst and 509 Harbourfront streetcar routes and serves:* CNE at the Exhibition Place* Ricoh Coliseum* Exhibition GO Station* BMO Field-History:...
, connecting Exhibition Place with Toronto subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system's Bathurst
Bathurst (TTC)
Bathurst is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 565 Bloor Street West at Bathurst Street. It was opened in 1966...
and Union
Union (TTC)
Union Station is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the Toronto subway and RT. Opened in 1954 along with the first twelve subway stations of Toronto, it is located between the Yonge Street and University Avenue sections of the line at 55 Front Street West between Bay Street and York...
stations. The grounds are also served by the Dufferin bus, which loops through Exhibition Place from mid-May through mid-August, terminating at the Dufferin Gate entrance the rest of the year. That bus connects with the subway's Dufferin
Dufferin (TTC)
Dufferin is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 1126 Bloor Street West at Dufferin Street...
station on the Bloor–Danforth line. During the CNE, the TTC also operates route 193, an express route from Dufferin Gates to its Dundas West
Dundas West (TTC)
Dundas West is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line in Toronto, Canada. It now ranks as the 29th busiest station in the system. Its postal address is 1525 Bloor Street West; the main entrance, however, is on Dundas Street, at the corner of Edna Avenue...
Station on the Bloor line.
The first loop began operations in 1916 and was located at the current loop location. In 1923 the loop was relocated to the southeast near the Princes' Gate. With the construction of the National Trade Centre it was re-located back to the original location in 1996.
CNE Transit
Five three car shuttle trains operate during the CNE to ferry passengers around the grounds along six stops:- Princes' Gates stop, in front of the Direct Energy Centre by the Princes' Gates.
- GM stop, next to the road leading to Lakeshore Avenue next to the Automotive Centre.
- Ontario Place stop, across from the Ontario Place bridge next to the midway.
- BMO Field stop, in front of the casino and behind the BMO field.
- Kiddy Midway stop, in front of the main entrance to Kiddy Midway.
- Food Building stop, in front of the Horse Palace and TTC/GO access.
Roads and Gates
The roads on the grounds are named for the provinces and territories of Canada:- British Columbia Road
- Alberta Circle
- Saskatchewan Road
- Manitoba Drive
- Ontario Drive
- Quebec Street
- Nova Scotia Avenue
- Nunavut Road
- Yukon Place
- Prince Edward Island Crescent
- Newfoundland Road
- New Brunswick Way
Only the Northwest Territories are not used. Canada Boulevard and Princes' Boulevard are the other names of roads on the grounds.
Other gates in the park outside of Princes' and Dufferin Gates are:
- British Columbia Gate - formerly Confederation Gate
- Ontario Gate
- Newfoundland Gate
- Manitoba Gate
Demolished Buildings and Attractions
- Canada's Sports Hall of FameCanada's Sports Hall of FameCanada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
, built 1961 as the joint home of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
. The latter moved in 1993, and the Sports Hall was partially demolished in 2006, with remaining sections to be incorporated into BMO FieldBMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
, a new soccer stadium.
- Mighty Flyer, a wooden rollercoaster, built in 1953 by Conklin ShowsConklin ShowsConklin Shows was the largest traveling amusement corporation in North America. The 75 year-old company operated 'fun fairs' at various summer agricultural shows across North America and is based in Brantford, Ontario and West Palm Beach, FL. The company has a long history in Canada, providing...
. It was a permanent fixture that lasted until the early 1990s.
- The Electrical and Engineering Building was built in 1928. The building was demolished in the 1970s, and the site is now occupied by the Direct Energy Centre.
- The Shell Oil Tower (1955–1986) was later known as the Bulova Tower. It was demolished in 1986.
- Alpine Way - A series of cable cars allowed visitors to view the Ex. The system consisted of four rows of cars (blue, green and red) carrying 4 passengers. The system was taken down in 1996 and placed into storage in 1998. This was the last of the permanent attractions built by Conklin ShowsConklin ShowsConklin Shows was the largest traveling amusement corporation in North America. The 75 year-old company operated 'fun fairs' at various summer agricultural shows across North America and is based in Brantford, Ontario and West Palm Beach, FL. The company has a long history in Canada, providing...
, and Jim Conklin described the dismantling of the attraction as a "heartbreak". Sam SnidermanSam SnidermanSam Sniderman, is a Canadian entrepreneur best known as the founder of Sam the Record Man, the Canadian record store chain...
shared equal sadness in the removal of the attraction, so much that he bought the ride sign and donated it to the CNE archives.
- Exhibition Stadium - For decades, the city's premiere outdoor sports and large concert venue (see above). Demolished 1999 and replaced with BMO Field.
- Manufacturers' Building was a building used to house exhibits of household appliances, fixtures and furnishings. It burned down in 1962 and was replaced by the Better Living Centre.
- The Women's Building was built in 1908 and burned along with the Manufacturers' Building in 1962.
- The Process Building was built in 1905 and demolished in the early 1960s.
- Transportation Building was burned down in 1960s and now occupied by Bandshell Park.
- original Dufferin Gate - replaced by current gate in 1959; previous gates built in 1895 and again in 1910.
- original Food Products Building - built in 1921 and replaced by current building in 1954
- Gooderham Fountain built in 1910 and replaced by the Princess Margaret Fountain in 1958.
See also
- Toronto waterfrontToronto waterfrontThe Toronto waterfront is the lakeshore of Lake Ontario in the City of Toronto, Ontario in Canada. It spans 46 kilometres between the mouth of Etobicoke Creek in the west, and the Rouge River in the East. The entire lakeshore has been significantly altered from its natural glaciated state prior to...
- Canadian National ExhibitionCanadian National ExhibitionCanadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
- Ontario PlaceOntario PlaceOntario Place is a multiple use entertainment and seasonal waterfront park attraction located in Toronto, Ontario, and owned by the Crown in Right of Ontario. It is administered as an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, just south of...
- BMO FieldBMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
- Exhibition StadiumExhibition StadiumCanadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
- WindShareWindShareWindShare is a for-profit wind power co-operative that was officially launched in February 2002 in Toronto, Canada. It was created by the non-profit Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative which was incorporated in 1998...
External links
- Exhibition Place Official Site
- Canadian National Exhibition Official Site
- Canadian International Air Show Official Site
- Direct Energy Centre Official Site
- Ricoh Coliseum Official Site
- Toronto Marlies Hockey Club Official Site
- Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Official Site
- Medieval Times Toronto Castle Official Site
- York Pioneer & Historical Society: Scadding Cabin
- Allstream Centre Official Site
- Honda Indy Toronto Official Site
Historical Plaques at Exhibition Place
- Federal Plaque - Early Exhibition Buildings National Historic Site
- Federal Plaque - The Defence of York National Historic Event
- Ontario Provincial Plaque - Canadian National Exhibition
- Ontario Provincial Plaque - The Princes' Gates
- Ontario Provincial Plaque - Fort Rouillé
- Ontario Provincial Plaque - Stanley Barracks
- Ontario Provincial Plaque - Canadian International Air Show
- Ontario Provincial Plaque - Warriors' Day Parade
- Ontario Provincial Plaque - The Queen's Rangers
- City of Toronto Plaque - Scadding Cabin
- Plaque to Marilyn Bell