Legislative Assembly of Ontario

With the passage of the Ontario Arboreal Emblem Act in 1984, the Eastern White Pine became the official tree of the province.

The First Session of the Legislature of the Province of Canada – composed of Canada West (now Ontario) and Canada East (now Quebec) opened in Kingston on June 14, 1841.

The Honourable Sir William Howard Hearst was Ontario’s 7th Premier – in office from 1914 to 1919. Succeeding James Whitney, Hearst governed the province during the First World War.

Following the War of 1812 and the destruction of Upper Canada’s first Legislative Building, meetings of the Legislature take place in several locations at York, including Jordan’s Hotel and the residence of the Chief Justice.

Interior renovations in the Legislative Building include the removal of carpeting throughout the main hallways to reveal the original oak floors, and a complete remodeling of the Chamber, turning the colour scheme there to green – the typical colour of a lower House in a Westminster-style parliam

Running on a platform to reduce provincial expenses – known as the “Common Sense Revolution” - Mike Harris was elected Ontario’s 22nd Premier in June, 1995. He remained in office until 2002 when he resigned his position to be replaced by his Minister of Finance Ernie Eves.  

Ontario’s Legislative Building marked its first century on April 4th, 1993. One of the activities for the centennial year included the placement of a time capsule in one of the decorative copper finials on the roof of the building, to be opened in 2093.

With the election of Ontario’s 41st Session of Parliament in June, 2014, more women than at any one time won seats in the Legislature – a total of 38 of 107 MPPs, or 35% of the House.

In 1967, Premier Robarts moved that MPPs may address the House in either English or French. French becomes an official language of the Legislative Assembly in 1970. 

Hansard, the official transcript of House proceedings, was introduced at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1944. Pictured here is a copy of the first bound index.