Skip to content Skip to Navigation

Queen's Park Picks 2022

The OAA’s Queen’s Park Picks (QP Picks) program asks Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) to share their favourite buildings or other structures from their ridings to be showcased as part of an annual celebration of architecture. The Association’s Policy Advisory Coordination Team (PACT) reviews the nominations and selects a shortlist of outstanding projects to mark World Architecture Day, held annually on the first Monday of October. For 2023, the OAA will share the list of nine projects on Tuesday, October 3 as the provincial government will be honouring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on the Monday.

An emerging theme from last year’s QP Picks was community, with numerous buildings playing important roles as spaces where people gather. As public health restrictions continue to ease and members of the public find themselves sharing spaces once again, the important role of community-centred buildings has come to the fore. In 2022, nominations were received from MPPs from all regions across the province, with submissions by members of all parties highlighting some of Ontario’s most beloved gathering spaces while also showcasing the diversity of our built environment. The OAA looks forward to revealing this year’s list on October 3.

“I am so thrilled that year after year, our Members of Provincial Parliament join us in recognizing the marvelous examples of Ontario architecture found in all parts of our province. We must continue to respect and revere these beautiful places that form a crucial part of our social fabric.”

- OAA President, Susan Speigel 


The OAA and MPPs Celebrate Ontario Architecture with Queen's Park Picks 

The OAA once again celebrates World Architecture Day virtually in 2022. Traditionally, the OAA marks this occasion (which falls on the first Monday in October) with a reception for Members of Provincial Parliament at Queen’s Park to reveal the year’s Queen’s Park Picks (QP Picks). The event is a unique opportunity to showcase outstanding examples of Ontario architecture through the nominations of passionate MPPs across the province. 


Read More

2022 Selections

Each year, the selection process is a painstaking deliberation by architects at the Ontario Association of Architects. While we can't feature them all, we do want to recognize these architectural works throughout Ontario and the dedicated MPPs who, each year, take the time to share this part of their communities with all of us.

  • Abilities Centre

    Location: Whitby, Ontario
    Date of Completion: 2012
    Architect: B+H Architects Corp.
    Nominated by: Lorne Coe, MPP (Whitby)
  • Adawe Crossing

    Location: Ottawa, Ontario
    Date of Completion: 2015
    Architect: Stantec Architecture Ltd.
    Nominated by: Lucille Collard, MPP (Ottawa—Vanier)
  • Franklin Carmichael Art Centre
    Location: Toronto, Ontario
    Date of Completion: 1932
    Architect: N/A
    Nominated by: Hon. Doug Ford, MPP (Etobicoke North)
  • Jeremiah McKay Kabayshewekamik
    Location: Sioux Lookout, Ontario
    Date of Completion: 2011
    Architect: ft3 Architecture Landscape Interior Design in association with Manasc Isaac Architects (now Reimagine)
    Nominated by: Sol Mamakwa, MPP (Kiiwetinoong)

  • Place des Arts

    Location: Sudbury, Ontario
    Date of Completion: 2022
    Architect: Moriyama & Teshima Architects in joint venture with Bélanger Salach Architecture (formerly Yallowega Belanger Salach Architecture)
    Nominated by: Jamie West, MPP (Sudbury)

  • Union Station

    Location: Toronto, Ontario
    Date of Completion: 1927
    Architect: Ross and MacDonald, Hugh Jones (Assistant Chief Architect, Canadian Pacific Railway) and John M. Lyle Architect
    Dates of Renovation/Addition:1970s, 2022
    Architects of Renovation/Addition: (2022) NORR Architects & Engineers Limited, EVOQ Architecture Inc., Zeidler Architecture, PARTISANS (interior), IBI Group (second platform)
    Nominated by: Chris Glover, MPP (Spadina—Fort York)

  • Victoria County Gaol

    Location: Lindsay, Ontario
    Date of Completion: 1863
    Architect: Cumberland and Storm
    Dates of Renovation/Addition:1927, 1982, 2011
    Architects of Renovation/Addition:
    Nominated by: Laurie Scott, MPP (Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock)

  • Victoria Hall

    Location: Brockville, Ontario
    Date of Completion: 1864
    Architect: Henry H. Horsey
    Dates of Renovation/Addition:1880, 1904
    Architects of Renovation/Addition: O. E. Liston
    Nominated by: Steve Clark, MPP (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes)

2022 Queen's Park Picks

 

Abilities Centre

Location: Whitby, Ontario
Date of Completion: 2012
Architect: B+H Architects Corp.
Nominated by: Lorne Coe, MPP (Whitby)

Setting a global standard for accessibility and inclusion in sports, Whitby’s Abilities Centre is an internationally renowned community space that improves the quality of life for people of all ages and abilities through health, wellbeing, and inclusion.

Read More



Adawe Crossing

Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Date of Completion: 2015
Architect: Stantec Architecture Ltd.
Nominated by: Lucille Collard, MPP (Ottawa—Vanier)

With a name meaning “to trade” in Algonquin, Adàwe Crossing provides a critical missing link in Ottawa’s pedestrian and cycling transportation network, fulfilling a long-held promise to reconnect two historically linked communities and supporting a more active and sustainable future 

Read More



Franklin Carmichael Art Centre

Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date of Completion: 1932
Architect: N/A
Nominated by: Hon. Doug Ford, MPP (Etobicoke North)

A gift to the city by one of its most celebrated residents, Thistletown’s Franklin Carmichael Art Centre is the fulfilment of a life-long dream to bring the people of Toronto’s North Etobicoke neighbourhood together through community and the arts.

Read More



Holy Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church

Location: Guelph, Ontario
Date of Completion: 1962
Architect: Evhen Gren
Nominated by: Mike Schreiner, MPP (Guelph)

Expressive of the traditions and heritage of the community it serves, Guelph’s Holy Protection of Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church stands proudly as a symbol of Ukrainian culture in Canada.

Read More



Jeremiah McKay Kabayshewekamik

Location: Sioux Lookout, Ontario
Date of Completion: 2011
Architect: ft3 Architecture Landscape Interior Design in association with Manasc Isaac Architects (now Reimagine)
Nominated by: Sol Mamakwa, MPP (Kiiwetinoong)

A place to rest and get healthy, the Jeremiah McKay Kabayshewekamik carefully integrates local materials and Indigenous culture to provide a home away from home to members of 33 First Nations seeking services in this northern Ontario healthcare centre.

Read More



Place des Arts

Location: Sudbury, Ontario
Date of Completion: 2022
Architect: Moriyama & Teshima Architects in joint venture with Bélanger Salach Architecture (formerly Yallowega Belanger Salach Architecture)  
Nominated by: Jamie West, MPP (Sudbury)

Bringing together seven Franco-Ontarian arts organizations, Sudbury’s Place des Arts is a bold new facility that carefully blends respect and reverence for the city’s past with unabashed optimism for the region’s future.
 

Read More


Union Station

Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date of Completion: 1927
Architect: Ross and MacDonald, Hugh Jones (Assistant Chief Architect, Canadian Pacific Railway) and John M. Lyle Architect
Dates of Renovation/Addition:1970s, 2022
Architects of Renovation/Addition: (2022) NORR Architects & Engineers Limited, EVOQ Architecture Inc., Zeidler Architecture, PARTISANS (interior), IBI Group (second platform)
Nominated by: Chris Glover, MPP (Spadina—Fort York)

“You build your stations like we build our cathedrals.”

-Edward, Prince of Wales
August 6, 1927 at the Opening of Union Station

One of Canada’s finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture, Toronto’s Union Station has served as the city’s grand gateway for almost a century—welcoming millions of visitors and commuters every year and playing a critical role in shaping the city we see today.

Read More



Victoria County Gaol

Location: Lindsay, Ontario
Date of Completion: 1863
Architect: Cumberland and Storm
Dates of Renovation/Addition:1927, 1982, 2011
Architects of Renovation/Addition: John T. Hornsby (1927 verandah)
Nominated by: Laurie Scott, MPP (Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock)

A solemn structure in Lindsay’s former justice district, the Victoria County Gaol—now the Kawartha Lakes Museum & Archives—stands as testament to the values and ideas behind incarceration in 1800s Canada and the establishment of our modern prison system.

Read More



Victoria Hall

Location: Brockville, Ontario
Date of Completion: 1864
Architect: Henry H. Horsey
Dates of Renovation/Addition:1880, 1904
Architects of Renovation/Addition: O. E. Liston
Nominated by: Steve Clark, MPP (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes)

Standing proud as a symbol of self-governance, community, and economic success, Brockville’s Victoria Hall has been serving its residents for more than 100 years, adapting to the changing needs of its citizens and preserving an important connection with their past.
 

Read More

These projects form our Queen’s Park Picks 2022 series. We hope you enjoyed learning more about them. Check out last year's series here or the full series on the blOAAg, or view the map below to learn more about great buildings across the province! 


Queen's Park Picks - Past and Present

Spanning seven years, the Queen’s Park Picks represent most regions in Ontario. The architecture is varied, ranging across multiple eras and styles of architecture. Some of the QP Picks were nominated because they were an MPP’s favourite building, some were important community or cultural landmarks, and some may simply have been a built space your local MPP wanted to know more about. Put together, they create a growing database of compelling examples of our province’s built environment.

This year’s QP Picks are in teal blue. You can click on them to learn more about the project, or expand the map by selecting the top right corner to get even more background.


BLOAAG banner

BLOAAG

Check out the OAA BLOAAg, an inclusive space for member engagement and OAA features.

MORE
Contracts banner

OAA Contract Suite

Did you know the OAA offers free contracts for its members and the general public? These downloadable standardized contracts make it easier for all to enter into fair, balanced business relationships.

MORE
Events banner

Events Calendar

Check out our events calendar for a wide array of online and in-person events. Also submit an event using our new online form.

MORE