The site of Ontario’s first Parliament building could disappear from the corner of Parliament and King Sts. if the provincial government and the city of Toronto do not help rescue the site.

The property is now owned by a Porsche dealership. The owner is said to be willing to sell the land to the city—provided the price is right.

“What we really need is for the province to step in to get this land into public hands immediately, or else we’ll have to wait a generation before we can get the site into public hands,” said Dr. Ronald Williamson, archaeologist in charge of the excavations of the site.

“This is the cradle of Ontario’s democracy. It’s more than a monument. [It’s the] structure that created, moulded and expanded our province,” said Ernest Buchner, the executive director of Heritage Toronto.

Built after John Graves Simcoe moved Upper Canada’s capital from Newark (today’s Niagara-on-the-Lake) to York (now called Toronto), the building was the seed of Ontario’s parliamentary democracy.

The site hold remnants of the two Parliament buildings (an upper and lower house), built in 1797 and burned down in 1813 by the American army. An archaeological survey found fragments of plates and crockery, as well as the original floorboards, damaged by the fire that destroyed the building.

The status of the site was debated briefly at Queen’s Park. “This is the heritage of this province that we are going to pass on to our children and our children’s children. I think to all of us, heritage is important, even to the government members,” said Michael Prue, the NDP MPP for Beaches-East York.

“The government recognizes the importance of this very historical landmark site. I will say again to the member that currently we are considering a number of options in which the province can work with the city in this matter,” replied David Tsubouchi, PC MPP for Markham, and Minister of Culture.

“We can’t consider the options any longer. We have to make a decision by Dec. 1. E-mailing a letter takes a second. Anything that can be done—talking to friends and professors—the more public energy we can create, the better,” said Williamson.

“Any support we can receive or any amount that can be contributed will help in preserving this part of our history,” said Buchner.

To find more information on the Ontario’s first Parliament building, you can visit www.firstparliament.ca, or contact your local MP by going to www.ontla.on.ca.

Photograph by Simon Turnbulll