Whitney Block

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The Whitney Block is an important provincial office building located in Toronto, Ontario. It is located just across the street from Ontario Legislature, Queen's Park and contains the offices of the Premier of Ontario and most cabinet ministers. The street address of Whitney Block is 99 Wellesley Street West, though the principal facade faces west towards Queen's Park Crescent and the Ontario Legislature. The building is linked to the legislature by a tunnel under the street. The Modern Gothic structure was built in 1926 by architect F.R. Heakes and the tower was added in 1932. At its completion it was one of the tallest buildings in Toronto. It was originally known as the East Block, but it is now known as the Whitney Block in honour of former Premier James P. Whitney.

While no longer used for office space, the tower remains as a distinctive feature of the building and contains one of the few operational hand cranked elevators remaining in Toronto. The building also once contained a bowling alley and a section set aside for live domestic and farm animals.

Other government buildings nearby include:

• Mowat Block
• Macdonald Block
• Ontario Power Building
• Hearst Block

[edit] References

• Provincial Parliament Buildings - East Block
• Ontario Parliament Virtual Tours
• Sun article on the tower