Castles of "Canada" CHORLEY PARK vs CONFEDERATION BUILDING

Visitors to Chorley Park in northeast Rosedale may notice a cul-de-sac roadbed off Douglas Drive that seems out of place with the surrounding greenery and serenity of local residents enjoying a rest on a bench. Off the road is a plaque commemorating the tumultuous history of the building that once occupied much of the grounds. The half-century saga of Chorley Park saw the main building go from a magnificent manor for government dignitaries to a crumbling ruin deemed too expensive to maintain. Along the way it was embroiled in government scandals, war efforts, schemes to find a lasting function, and the city’s unending and ultimately successful effort to buy the property for its current use. The story begins with the Ontario government’s search for a new site on which to build a residence for the Lieutenant-Governor of the province, who had resided in Government House at King and Simcoe. A site was purchased on Bloor Street East around 1909 but was sold when officials felt the area would be overrun with commercial development (this site was quickly sold and is now occupied by the Manufacturer’s Life Building). The decision to buy 14 acres in a semi-secluded area was greeted with jeers from the press and city council. The Globe printed a critical editorial in its April 27, 1911

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The Confederation Building is a gothic revival office building designed by Richard Cotsman Wright and Thomas W. Fuller in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Located just west of the Parliament Buildings at Bank and Wellington Streets, it is generally considered part of Parliament Hill. Originally, the land where the Confederation Building and the Supreme Court of Canada now stand contained homes and businesses. These were expropriated by the government to allow for the construction of new federal buildings. Work on the Confederation Building began when the cornerstone was laid by the Governor General Lord Willingdon on July 1, 1927 as part of the celebrations of Canada's Diamond Jubilee and it opened during 1931. It originally housed workers in a number of departments, with the Department of Agriculture being the largest tenant. Today it is home both to civil servants and to a number of MPs and ministers. Many Conservative, Liberal and NDP MPs have their offices there along with some junior cabinet members. As part of the ongoing work on Parliament Hill there are currently discussions to fill the space between the Confederation Building and the smaller Justice Building to create more office space. This has been contested by some, however, due to a government daycare that is open to hill staff that is already there. Work began in 2008 to clean and refurbish the building's masonry.

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