It was exactly 55 years ago Sunday that what many still refer to as Toronto’s “New” City Hall was officially opened. To be historically accurate, from the day it opened, Sept. 13, 1965, it should have been referred to as Toronto’s “newest” City Hall.
Why? Because it was, in fact, the fourth in the list of our city’s structures identified as City Halls.
The first City Hall came by its title strictly by default when the municipal offices of the existing Town of York (as Toronto was known prior to being elevated to city status on March 6, 1834) — located in the little community’s Market Building at the southwest corner of King and New Sts. (the latter to be renamed Jarvis St.) — became, as I mentioned, and strictly by default, the location of the newly created city’s very first City Hall.
It was to retain that title for a mere decade until a purpose-built City Hall was erected in 1844-1845 at the southwest corner of Jarvis and Front Sts. A portion of this second structure, including the 1844 council chamber, is incorporated in what is now referred to as the South St. Lawrence Market.
A third City Hall opened in 1899 and still stands proudly on Queen St. at the top of Bay St. The fourth is our present and so-called “New” City Hall, the one that was officially opened 55 years ago today, to the west across Bay St from the third.
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