Nine projects ranging from a community centre in Whitby, a school in a First Nations community, and a lift lock on the historic Trent-Severn Waterway are the top selections of this year’s Ontario Association of Architects’ Queen’s Park Picks.

Sponsored with the active support of members of the Ontario Legislature, the Queen’s Park Picks is an annual program designed to recognize and promote the province’s architecture. It was first launched in 2016 as way to engage with MPPs directly.

Each year the OAA invites all Ontario MPPs to nominate a favourite building or structure within their riding. This year submissions were received from 44 MPPs representing regions across the province as well as all political parties.

This year’s theme, chosen by the International Union of Architects Council, was Architecture for Resilient Communities.

The association’s Policy Advisory Coordination Team (PACT), which comprises architects, reviews all of the building submissions and makes determinations about the nine that will be featured each year.

 In addition to the annual theme of the event, PACT endeavours to ensure the buildings featured represent all political stripes and as many geographies as possible across Ontario.