The Palace Pier
Encyclopedia
The Palace Pier is the site of Palace Place and Palace Pier, both tied for the 36th-tallest building 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...
. They are located at 2045 Lake Shore Boulevard West and 1 Palace Pier Court in the Humber Bay
The Queensway-Humber Bay
The Queensway-Humber Bay, known officially as Stonegate-Queensway, is a neighbourhood in the south-west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-east of the former City of Etobicoke.-Neighbourhoods:...
neighbourhood.
Overview
The complex consists of two luxury condominium towers, Palace Pier (North Tower) and Palace Place (South Tower). Both towers, while completely separate condominium corporations, form an architectural gateway for the west end of Toronto's waterfront and are considered the eastern border of the Humber Bay Shores neighbourhood of Etobicoke, now part of Toronto.The original Palace Pier Tower (North Tower) was completed in 1978
1978 in architecture
The year 1978 in architecture involved some significant events.-Buildings:* Gehry House by Frank Gehry in Santa Monica, California.* Sunshine 60 in Tokyo, Japan is completed.* Reunion Tower in Dallas, Texas is completed....
. Designed by Edward I. Richmond, the 46 floor residential structure was the tallest residential structure in Canada at the time. The Palace Place Tower (South Tower) was completed in 1991
1991 in architecture
The year 1991 in architecture involved some significant events.-Buildings:* One Canada Square in London becomes the tallest building in England.* Stansted Airport terminal building in Essex, England, designed by Norman Foster....
. Both towers offer views of the Toronto skyline, 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...
, as well as the western suburbs. On a clear day, residents have unobstructed views across the lake and may see the mist rising from Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
as well as the Niagara escarpment
Niagara Escarpment
The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois...
.
History of Palace Pier site
The name for the Palace Pier complex comes from an amusement pier, which was located on the site of the current towers.Costing $1.25 million in 1927 dollars, the pier development was proclaimed as one of the biggest landmarks to ever be built on the Toronto waterfront and would be similar to the many amusement piers found along the coast in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. However, it was to be much more costly to construct and certainly more impressive than its namesake in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, England – according to the promoters at the time.
The development was to be financed with public funds raised by an England-based company, Provincial Improvement Corporation. The financial prospectus, used to finance the project by the public sale of $10 shares, described the new four structure facility as a “Palace of Fun” - sitting atop an illuminated pier stretching nearly a third of a mile out into Lake Ontario.
The proposed pier would include a 30000 sq ft (2,787.1 m²) ballroom that would accommodate 3,000 couples, a roller rink (converted for ice skating in the winter months), 1,400-seat theatre, an outdoor Band Pavilion seating 1,500, and several restaurants and souvenir stores. The pier would also allow for steamer ships to dock alongside the structure, easing congestion for the 50,000 people a day the prospectus claimed would attend the amusement facility.
Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada: from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921; and from June 29 to September 25, 1926. He was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding...
in 1931. However, as with many projects of the time, financial difficulties would have an impact on the project and in the end, only a few hundred feet of pier was built.
Only the first phase of the redesigned amusement pier, 90 metres long, was opened on June 10, 1941 and it became popular as a major dance hall of the big band era during World War II and the postwar years. Hollywood celebrity 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...
, who was in town promoting his latest film, officially opened the new Palace Pier by doing a few laps around the roller rink in front of fans. As big band music faded away, boxing and wrestling matches, religious revival meetings, country and western concerts, and high school proms became the major events to frequent the Palace Pier.
The pier was designed by Craig & Madill with various structures in a flamboyant Moroccan style of architecture. The firm was better known for the many cathedrals and public buildings they built, frequently in the Georgian Revival style.
The pier was destroyed by fire in 1963, and the site later redeveloped into condominiums and a public park. A 1994 Etobicoke Historical Board plaque on the Waterfront Trail just west of the mouth of the Humber River is attached to what is left of the original Palace Pier dance hall.
The neighbourhood
The local waterfront features the Martin Goodman Trail, which allows for walking, jogging, cycling and inline skating along a 22 km path that leads through scenic parkland as well as the 300 kilometre Lake Ontario Greenway Waterfront Trail. Marinas, the yacht club and boating opportunities are located nearby away as well as dining, entertainment and cultural amenities, which are situated within walking distance. It is also near the Queen Elizabeth WayQueen Elizabeth Way
The Queen Elizabeth Way, commonly abbreviated as the QEW, is a 400-Series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The freeway links Buffalo, New York and the Niagara Peninsula with Toronto. It begins at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie and travels around the western shore of Lake Ontario, ending...
, Highway 427, and the TTC's
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
Humber loop.
Working together, the City of Toronto Parks and Recreation Department and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority have enhanced the natural environment in the area with the introduction of a new waterfront park, the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat, enhanced wetlands and fish habitats, and trails.