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42. THE RUINS OF THE SECOND PARLIAMENT |
| With the passing of the Quebec
Act in 1791, the nature of the early Canadian Legislature was defined.
It consisted of two bodies, the Legislative Council with a minimum of 7
members, and the Legislative Assembly with a minimum of 16 members.
They were formed and were required to meet at least once a year. Newark
(now Niagara-on-the-Lake) was the first capital, and legend states that
the first Parliament there was held under an oak tree. Likely it was in
the Freemason’s or Navy Hall in Newark, but it served as the
first contribution to the mythology of early democracy. York became the colony’s capital city in 1793, and a year later the construction of legislative buildings began. The brick buildings at the foot of Berkeley Street were in use from 1796 until their destruction by American soldiers on April 27, 1813(1). The legislature became homeless, moving approximately 3 times, from homes to hotels. Plans for the second Parliament Buildings, on the same site as the previous one, were well underway before 1820. Some of the old bricks were re-used in the creation of two rather plain structures. The northern building housed government offices, while the southern held the Legislative Chambers. This second Parliament was open from 1820 until it burned down on December 20, 1824. The cause of the fire was a defect in the flues. Once again the Parliament was forced to roam. It was held in the General Hospital from 1825 until 1828 when it moved to the Courthouse(2). The third Parliament Buildings began to take form in 1826 when an Act granting 7 000 pounds sterling for their construction was passed. A six acre lot called Simcoe Square, bounded by Palace (now Front), Market (now Wellington), John and Peter Streets, was the chosen location(3). Thomas Rogers of Kingston was the architect, while James Grant Chewett (1793-1862) oversaw the construction(4). Sessions were held in the new Parliament from 1832 until 1841 when the Canadian capital became rotational, moving from Quebec to Montreal to Toronto to Ottawa in a circuit. The third Parliament served as the Ontario Legislature from 1867 until 1892 at which time Queen’s Park was built. They were demolished in 1903. |
Notes
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| © Town of York Historical Society, 2006- All rights reserved. |