Sir James Pliny Whitney (1843 - 1914)

Elected Ontario Premier four times, Sir James Pliny Whitney served in office from 1905 to 1914. Public electricity was introduced in Ontario during his administration. The statue was sculpted by Hamilton MacCarthy and unveiled in 1927. The Whitney Block, a government building located on the east side of Queen’s Park Crescent, is named for the former Premier. It was constructed during the 1920s of Ontario materials such as limestone, dolomite, and marble, to showcase the province’s natural resources.

The base of the Sir James Whitney statue is made of limestone. Look closely and you can see small fossils known as crinoids.