Centre for Hospitality and
Culinary Arts

You can find a wide variety of cooking classes and schools in Toronto where you can easily learn how to prepare dishes from every corner of the globe. Extraordinary courses about macrobiotic foods, indigenous root vegetables, or popular gluten-free dishes are offered too. Many of the courses are led by celebrity chef instructors, who were, surprisingly, the reason why cooking education became such a favoured activity.

The options of cooking classes in Toronto have grown steadily over the past decade along with the popularity of celebrity chefs. Fifteen years ago, the selection of cooking classes in the city was limited, but currently, choices from over a dozen different venues are available. Whether you wish to have a fun and casual evening out or your intentions about learning culinary secrets are serious, the variety of cooking schools in the following list should provide you with valuable insight.

Fully Nourished

Fully Nourished

Courses at Fully Nourished are instructed by Marni Wasserman, a well-known chef and a nutritionist. Cooking classes and workshops at her home school concentrate on whole foods and nutritional knowledge. Each one of the classes includes helpful tips in the kitchen along with education about the nutritional content and health benefits of the foods prepared. At Fully Nourished, you can even take unique courses such as Calci-Yum, Heart Healthy, or Naturally Sweetened Desserts. Class size is four to eight people and there is a possibility of home classes for groups or individuals. Marni’s themed class packages are the most affordable option (three Classes at $285). Taking one of these courses after eating the fresh food prepared during the lesson, you will always leave feeling fully nourished by excellent food and valuable information.

George Brown Continuing Education

George Brown courses at their Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts are designed for more dedicated home cooks. The wide selection of semestered evening classes (priced $200-$400 for each) are supplied by certificate programs. Options include basic knife skills, specialties of French Farmhouse Cooking, and even a Tea Sommelier course. If you commit to doing six different classes, you can achieve a certificate in Baking Arts, Asian Cuisine, or general Culinary Arts. Courses have been developed by industry-leading professionals with a focus on interactive learning. Their newly renovated, state-of-the-art facilities make learning attractive too.

Apona Healing Arts

Apona Healing Arts

Founded by Lidia Kuleshnyk, a health and life style consultant, Apona Healing Arts offers extensive service in holistic medicine and counselling. Their cooking classes teach you about how to incorporate macrobiotic and healing foods into your daily diet. Practical classes include work with ingredients like herbs, chestnuts, shiso leaves, and other root vegetables to create delicious healing meals. The average class size is five. Lidia describes their cooking classes as unique because they provide “affordable education and amazing healing foods that not only help us be healthier in body, mind and spirit, but also assist in healing health conditions that are often considered untreatable or very difficult.” She then says that clients often ask her how to “use healing food to help breakdown tumours.” If you want to try this approach to nutrition, make sure to check out Apona Healing Arts.

Dish Cooking Studio

Dish Cooking Studio

The Studio follows a market-to-table philosophy using top-quality, seasonal ingredients to create meals inspired by themes from all around the world. Build complex flavours in a Thai Curry class, get involved in preparation of a Tuscan feast, or make your knife skills breathtaking at one of their intimately sized classes. Prices for classes vary (about $125-$175). Dish Cooking Studio offers many types of courses with pay-it-forward classes being the most unique. In these classes, the group prepares a healthy comfort meal for themselves and the same meal for a designated charity or shelter. The format is very popular with corporate groups who want a team-building event and still to do something useful for the community. The cooking studio might also organize classes exactly according to your wishes. Pam Pridham, director and owner of the Dish Cooking Studio, told me about various themed and extraordinary courses they already organized, including a ’70s disco theme and a 40th birthday celebration.

The Big Carrot

The Big Carrot

Specializing in organically grown and environmentally safe products, the Big Carrot is a store, a centre of education, and a cooking school. Their offer includes courses for specific dietary needs, and you can get to know about topics like Easter medicinal cooking or raw desserts with them. There are also interesting classes on particular body conditions like anti-inflammatory foods, cancer prevention meals, and eating for mood. "We embrace extraordinary requests. Our school caters to specific conditions and ways of eating so nothing phases us. We’ve had classes called “all about quinoa,” “the candida diet,” and “cooking with seaweed,” said Sarah Dobec, one of the instructors at The Big Carrot. To see how it goes there, you can try their free Thursday evening lectures.

The Healthy Butcher

At the Healthy Butcher courses, you can learn basically everything about meat. Classes are either demonstrations or hands-on and their prices range from $80-$100. The groups are not so small as in the previously mentioned schools (up to twenty people), but they still sell out quickly so keep en eye on their online schedule if you’re willing to apply. The Healthy Butcher store sells hand-selected products and top-quality meats. If an Art of the Roast cooking class is what you’re looking for and a serving of juicy roast beef or pork comes close to heaven on a plate, these courses are just the right choice for you.

Amazing shot with striking accents of the two designer chairs. Well done, Gary!

The liveability rating is a very prestigious figure and it’s a huge honour for any city to rank in the top positions. The main aim of liveability surveys is to examine and assess living conditions in different locations around the world and determine which places have the best and the worst living conditions. The results are used by employers assigning hardship allowances as part of expatriate relocation packages as well as by city councils, non-government organizations, and corporate entities that compare and benchmark regions with different liveability ratings. Furthermore, the annual city rankings always draw extensive attention of media coverage and become objects of many discussions. It’s interesting that Toronto, the city that finished at the fourth place in the world liveability ranking, was ranked by another survey as the 88th best place to live in Canada. This article analyzes the methodology of different surveys and Toronto’s position in them.

Toronto in the Liveability Ranking of The Economist Intelligence Unit

The Economists Intelligence Unit’s liveability rating measures the challenges that could affect an individual’s lifestyle anywhere around the world and that can be directly compared with different locations. There are more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors assessed across five wide categories, which are stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Each of these factors are then rated as either acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable, or intolerable on a 1-to-100 scale, where 1 represents and intolerable situation and 100 stands for ideal. The liveability rating is calculated both as an overall score and as a score for each category.

The last EIU liveability ranking, which was released in August 2011, designated Melbourne as the most liveable city with an overall rating of 97.5. Toronto finished at fourth place for the third time in a row, only 0.3 points behind Melbourne. The only Canadian city that was able to beat Toronto was Vancouver, with 97.3 points.

Toronto by David Baron

Toronto reached the highest possible rating in three of five basic categories: stability, healthcare, and education, and 100 in the stability category, which accounts for 25 per cent of the total score — which is a very positive sign. This category consists exclusively of factors concerning people’s safety such as the prevalence of petty crime, the prevalence of violent crime, the threat of terror, the threat of military conflict, and the threat of civil unrest/conflict.

Healthcare is also a category of higher priority since it demonstrates the quality of life protection. A score of 100 in this category gave Toronto 20 per cent in the overall rating. It consists of factors such as the availability of private healthcare, the quality of private healthcare, the availability of public healthcare, the quality of public healthcare, the availability of over-the-counter drugs, and general healthcare indicators. In the EIU’s rating, education is not as important as other categories and hence awarded Toronto only with 10 per cent in the overall rating. It consists of the availability of private education, the quality of private education, and public educational indicators.

Toronto did a bit worse in the culture and environment category, reaching 97.2 points. This category is of the same importance as the stability category and comprises 25 per cent of the overall rating. It’s measured by using information from external sources such as Transparency International and the evaluation of the average weather conditions. It wasn’t a surprise that in the extensive diversity of relevant factors affecting the overall score in this category such as humidity/temperature rating, discomfort of climate to travellers, the level of corruption, social or religious restrictions, the level of censorship, sporting availability, cultural availability, food and drink, and consumer goods and services, there were some in which Toronto didn’t reach the ideal score of 100.

Toronto received a very low score in the infrastructure category, with only 89.3 points. This category amounts to 20 per cent of the overall rating and considers factors such as the quality of road networks, the quality of public transit, the quality of international links, the availability of good quality housing, the quality of energy provision, the quality of water provision, and the quality of telecommunications. One of the main reasons of this failure is the catastrophic commuting situation in Toronto, where people spend significantly more time commuting than in any other city in Canada. The city is overcrowded with cars as more than 70 per cent of Torontonians travel to work by car, and this number is expected to grow by 1 million more cars in 20 years. The support of active transportation in Toronto is an important issue that should be dealt with as soon as possible.

Toronto in MoneySense’s “Best Places to Live”

Ottawa Skyline by D.Neuman

Compiling a list of the best places to live in Canada without including Toronto or Vancouver in the top ten is always considered contentious. MoneySense, a Canadian personal finance website, annually publishes a list of the best places to live in Canada, and both Toronto and Vancouver tend to receive only mediocre score in the ranking. This year’s ranking evaluates 190 Canadian cities and towns according to municipal data and information from Statistic Canada and other sources. The winner of this year’s ranking is Ottawa with a score of 74 points out of a possible 105, while Toronto finished 47th and Vancouver 56th. Even though the ranking is not as prestigious as the one provided by The Economists Intelligence Unit, its results should demonstrate the quality of life in different Canadian regions.

MoneySense assesses 190 cities and towns in Canada in 22 separate categories. They work with information on Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA) and Census AGglomeration (CA) areas as defined by Statistics Canada. CMAs of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec City, Hamilton, Ottawa-Gatineau, St. Catharines-Niagara, Oshawa, Edmonton, Victoria, and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo were divided into their component cities of 50,000 or more in population.

Each city and town could receive a total of 105 points, while every single category was assigned a certain number of points according to the importance of the category. The best city in each category received the maximum number of points, and the rest of the cities received descending incremental points based on their ranking.

For example, in the area of unemployment, Estevan, Saskatchewan had the lowest unemployment rate in the country (1.6 per cent). It was ranked No. 1 in that category and received 10 points. The second-best city in the unemployment category, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, received 9.95 points. The next city was Swift Current, Saskatchewan, with 9.89 points and so on down to the 190th city (Bay Roberts, Newfoundland, with an unemployment rate of 16.8 per cent), which received 0.53 points.

Calculations for some other categories follow a slightly different methodology. For example, in the category of population growth, an annual rate of 7.9 per cent was considered ideal. Anything below or above that rate loses points and cities with a population loss got zero. The same is true for the subcategory of precipitation, which makes up part of the weather category. (The ideal number is 700 mm a year, with anything above or below that losing points accordingly.)

Toronto Bike Rally by James
Schwartz

Furthermore, a bonus of 5 points was awarded depending on the percentage of people employed in arts, culture, recreation, and sports. Each city is the compared to all other cities to determine the best places to live overall.

MoneySense’s “Best Places to Live“ ranks Canadian cities according to these categories: walk/bike to work (7 points), weather (18 points), air quality (2 points), population growth (10 points), unemployment (10 points), housing (15 points), household income (4 points), discretionary income (4 points), new cars (4 points), income taxes (2 points), sales taxes (1 point), crime (5 points), doctors (6 points), health professionals (4 points), transit (5 points), amenities (3 points), and culture (bonus points).

Toronto finished in MoneySense’s list at 47th place; however, there were vast differences among particular categories. The percentage of people who walk or ride a bike to work in Toronto was 8.82, which was better than in 130 other Canadian cities. Toronto lost a lot of points in the housing category, mainly due to the high average house price ($474 300), which was the 26th highest in the whole country. The average household income in Toronto was estimated to be $94,526. which was enough for a mediocre 48th place. On the other hand, discretionary household income (it was calculated as a percentage of total household income derived from 2012 estimates) ranked as number 28. Furthermore, the percentage of new 2009-2011 cars bought in Toronto was 17,61, representing the number 31 in the new cars category. Toronto ranked number 4 according to provincial sales and income taxes. The population growth rate in Toronto, which was 4.5 per cent between the years 2006 and 2011, represented rank number 71.

Toronto was number 75 in crime severity rank and number 89 in violent crimes rank but managed to finish as the 27th best in the overall crime category. There are 2.07 doctors for every 1,000 people in Toronto, representing rank number 110. Toronto ranked 157th according to the percentage of people employed in health occupations. The unemployment rate in Toronto reached 9.4 per cent and overall rank number 156. According to Environment Canada, there are 155.9 precipitation days in Toronto and the average volume of precipitation per year is 835,9. Toronto was the 6th best city in the culture category, which is determined by the percentage of people employed in arts, culture, recreation, and sports.

Different Approaches; Different Results

Toronto Sunset by Silent Shot

It’s hard to determine the quality of life in a certain area and compare it with the rest of the world. The general well-being of individuals is a relative indicator that cannot be measured with scientific accuracy. However, differences between Toronto’s performance in EIU’s and MoneySense’s rankings are so vast that you wouldn’t believe that they assessed the same city.

This is caused by the fact that EIU’s rating focuses mainly on criminality and healthcare while MoneySense gave high importance to weather and average house prices. The weather in Toronto is enjoyable; however, house prices are relatively high. This was one of the main disadvantages of bigger cities such as Toronto or Vancouver where people earn more and therefore spend more money on housing. Overall, Toronto didn’t do as badly in the MoneySense “Best Places to Live“ survey as it might seem. The results in individual categories were decent; however, there were several categories that drew Toronto back. MoneySense’s ranking lacks balance between individual categories and therefore enables smaller cities to score more overall points. EIU’s rating reflects the quality of life in a certain area in a wider context and therefore creates a more adequate overview.

Welcome to Canada! The lovely floral decorations in the High Park invite for a stroll.

Greater Toronto REALTORS® released their newest report concerning April home sales in Toronto and the GTA. The overall number of 10,350 home sales reported through the TorontoMLS System in April 2012 represents an 18 per cent increase compared to April 2011 with only 8,778 transactions. The figures reported the strongest sales growth in the single-detached market segment, which was up by 22 per cent compared to last year.

The demand for single-detached homes in Toronto and the GTA has been very high in April 2012. The amount of single-detached listings wasn’t able to satisfy this growing demand and the competition between buyers in this market segment rapidly grew. It was therefore no surprise that the strongest annual price increase was also experienced in the single-detached segment.

The average selling price in the GTA recorded an 8.5 per cent year-over-year increase, reaching $517,556. As mentioned above, the strongest pace of price growth was recorded in the single-detached market segment. Prices in the better supplied condominium apartment segment also went up, albeit at a more moderate pace of 4 per cent.

“Monthly mortgage payments remain affordable for home buyers in the Greater Toronto Area. While interest rates are generally expected to increase over the next two years, the extent and timing of rate hikes has been thrown into question by slower than expected economic growth in the first quarter of this year. On net, borrowing costs are expected to remain a positive factor influencing home sales through 2012,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

Do you have your favourite time and place for dining? Have you already tried everything on the menu and has the excitement steadily faded away? Do you want to beat the routine and go beyond your usual dining out? Have you ever heard of restaurants that provide once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences that will surely tip the scales? Read on and get to know the restaurants that offer truly unique dining opportunities. Some of these restaurants take it to the extreme, and most of them are so interesting that they’re bordering on weird. Unusual places, unusual food — everything about them is out of ordinary!

Medieval Times

10 Dufferin Street, Exhibition Place

Medieval Times Show
by Aaron Tait

If you like Medieval Times, take a trip back to a time when jousting was the popular sport and dinner was a celebration. Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament Toronto offers an 11th-century experience, complete with dinner and a show. Related onsite offerings also include a bar, a dance floor, a display of medieval artefacts, and even a medieval torture museum. The first Medieval Times castle opened 40 years ago in Majorca, Spain, and it soon ventured overseas. They currently run attractions in nine North American cities.

The show strives to provide authenticity and entertainment. Dine with the king and queen while watching the knights joust and sword fight. And if you can’t find the fork, don’t worry; in medieval times, people enjoyed their meal with their hands! It may seem a bit messy but it makes the taste of a four-course meal more intense.

Typically, you will be first brought pitchers of pop and water, followed by a tomato bisque (call it Dragon’s blood for kids) poured into a soup cup and a slice of garlic bread for any remaining soup. Afterwards, you’ll get half of an herb roasted chicken and a baked potato. Next up is a massive plate of ribs and a dessert, of course. There are vegetarian meal options, which consist of the potato, vegetables, and rice. Once the show is over, you can get your picture taken with the knights. If such extraordinary dinner theatre is what you’re looking for, Medieval Times won’t disappoint!

O.Noir

620 Church Street

O.Noir Bar Toronto

The most unique feature of O.Noir Toronto is the “dine-in-dark” concept and practice, the service from legally blind people, and the trust between guests and services. “Dark dining” claims to shine a light on flavour, and if you’ve ever taken a bite of something with your eyes closed, you’ll probably agree with me. The increasingly popular “dark dining” phenomenon has its roots in both Europe and North America, and the playful concept is currently spreading quickly across Asia, too.

A typical meal at these restaurants goes like this: after choosing the dish, diners are led to a pitch-black room where visually impaired guides seat them at a table. Many describe such an eating experience as if they were eating for the first time. They are often unable to recognize something they’ve eaten many times before. And everyone says you’ll find it easier than expected to eat in the dark.

The O.Noir company opened Canada’s only “dine-in-dark” restaurant first in Montreal then a second in Toronto. Apart from the sensual dining experience and stimulation of the senses, O.Noir tries to provide customers with an authentic feeling of what it’s like to be blind — just like their entire wait staff. This socially conscious concept was promoted by a blind Swiss pastor, Jorge Spielmann, who used to blindfold his own dinner guests to show them his eating experience. In 1999, he set up a project that focused on teaching the sighted about sightless life and getting work for blind people.

If you are tempted to go there for dinner, you might try their most popular main dish, Five Spice Filet mignon served with Potatoes and Vegetables. Popular starters are Arugula Salad (with fresh Mushrooms and Parmigiano shavings with lemon) and Grilled O.Noir Octopus (with olive oil and lime). O.Noir customers most often order the Surprise Dessert as the last course. The most extraordinary customer request was a marriage proposal and engagement in their dining rooms, playing music or songs by the man who proposed to the woman. If the idea of eating in the dark doesn’t weird you out, your should try it!

The Sultan’s Tent & Café Moroc

49 Front Street East

Sultants Tent & Cafe Moroc
Interior

This is a nice, entertaining restaurant that will satisfy all those who wish to savour the atmosphere of a harem, enjoy some belly dancing, and dive into the spicy flavours of the Middle East. The downtown restaurant is carved into two distinct parts, Café Moroc upfront and The Sultan’s Tent in the back, which are both popular choices for locals, tourists, and large parties. The first is a rather luxurious site that resembles Rick’s Café from the movie Casablanca, the latter an exotic hideaway. Both venues are served by the same kitchen, with some variations on the menu.

Dark and atmospheric, the restaurant offers a wide variety of exclusive dishes. The menu includes classic Moroccan favourites such as B’stilla, a sweet and savoury pastry with chicken, almonds, and caramelized onions; couscous, lamb, chicken, and spicy meat as well as Middle Eastern-inspired variations like house-cut fries. The Couscous Royale and sweet keskesu (sweet couscous, cinnamon, almonds, raisins, and orange blossom water) are among the most popular orders. Portions are generous yet not overwhelming, and service is friendly and attentive. The ambiance is attractive at first glance: silk tents lit by lanterns, comfortable divans, soft cushions everywhere, and tea poured into tall ornate glass. It’s a great idea for a romantic dinner.

The Rainforest Café

3401 Dufferin Street

Rainforest Cafe Logo

This restaurant might appear like childish, but The Rain Forest Café is often enjoyed by adult visitors as well. The elaborately decorated themed facility with moving robot animals and servers dressed in safari gear will make children especially happy. There are moving monkeys, snakes, elephants, birds, and more along the walls, accompanied by authentic sound effects. The interior doesn’t lack a waterfall and star-gazing section, either. When you walk in, a giant fish tank surrounds you. Every half an hour, a simulated thunder storm occurs and you can hear thunder. At last, where else can you eat a volcano?

Their menu features a wide array of tropical treats, including exotic salads and creative entrées that come in generous portions. Every five minutes, you can hear a server shouting, “VOOOOLCANOOOO!” as the servers rush out with the Sparkling Volcano dessert. They have also the special kids’ menu for children aged 10 and less. You can order curiosities such as Python Pasta, Rainforest Rascals, Gorilla Grilled Cheese Delight, or Lava Mud. Even though the prices there are quite high and the place is always noisy, this themed restaurant is definitely a great place to take kids for a variety of attractions.

Rawlicious

2122 Bloor Street West

Looking for 100 per cent raw all the time? Then Rawlicious is the right choice for you. This restaurant is a suitable place for vegans, vegetarians, raw foodies, and those with celiac disease as well as for those willing to venture out and try something new. Although their goal to serve not just healthy but also delicious food might seem too ambitious considering the process in which dishes are done, you will probably be pleasantly surprised by the rich and flavourful taste and the dash of creativity there. Many regular customers claim that Rawlicious is unlike most of the vegan or raw restaurants that are often either cafeteria-style or just feel like cheap stuff with expensive prices. Curious about how raw versions of the Nacho Platter, the taco wrap, or lasagna taste? If you also want to feel good about what you eat, Rawlicious should be the destination to check out.

Something for a true fan of antique cars. The blur makes it look like it's a postcard from the past! Thanks, Michael.

The foyer of the Toronto Grand Symphony Orchestra's private rehearsal space takes you back to the grandeur of the last century. Amazing shot, Dann!

The next instalment of the People Who Shaped Toronto series describes the life and career of two prominent Toronto based architects who substantially contributed to the development of Toronto’s commercial and banking architecture in the beginning of the twentieth century, Frank Darling and John A. Pearson. Their co-operation began in 1889 when Pearson became a member of the highly recognized architecture firm of Darling and Currie. After three years, Pearson became a full partner, and soon he and Frank Darling blasted off their exceptionally flourishing career with their own firm, which lasted from the early 1890s until 1923. Darling and Pearson was one of Canada’s most prominent commercial architectural firms, which was recognized mostly for their progressive designs of bank buildings. Their significant combination of Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival styles with their own ideas formed a completely new and unique Canadian approach toward commercial development in the early twentieth century.

Frank Darling

Darling was born in Scarborough, Ontario on February 17th, 1850 to the family of William Stewart Darling, a respected rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity. He received his education at Upper Canada College and at Trinity College School. Before taking up architecture, Darling experimented and tried out a few other subjects and professions such as bank telling and general studies. After graduation, he started to work as an apprentice in the architectural firm of Thomas Gundry and Henry Langley in Toronto. By that time, Darling was absolutely sure that architecture is the right profession for him. In late 1869, he decided to leave Toronto and started to study architecture in Great Britain under one of the greatest architects of that time, George Edmund Street. Before returning in 1873, he also spent some time co-operating with Arthur William Blomfield. These three years had a significant influence on Darling’s perception of architecture. The main aspect that he learned from his British colleagues that is visible in most of his works is that historic architecture, particularly Gothic revival style, could be the basis upon which all other styles and functional requirements could be adapted.

Early Career

Convocation Hall
by Wikimedia Commons

In 1873, Darling returned to Canada and started his own business. After a year on his own, he entered into a partnership with Henry Mcdougall. His first contracts included churches for the city’s Anglicans (St Matthias, St Thomas, and St Luke) as well as the convocation hall (1877) and chapel (1884) of Trinity College. His first projects, built in bricks, were designed in a way reflecting his British colleagues, mainly George Edmund Street.

After a few partnerships with various Toronto architects, Darling formed a partnership with Samuel Currie, a Port Hope native, with whom he achieved huge success. Currie preferred to leave Darling more space, which is one of the main reasons why their partnership worked so well. One of their first large-scale designs was the plans for the Ontario Legislature Building competition in 1882. Even though their project won first place, delays and back-room agreements meant that the commission was given to someone else. Nevertheless, their brilliant project received acknowledgment in the architectural society and soon brought them a chance to work on their best known work together — the Bank of Montreal building. It’s one of the city’s earliest and best examples of the Beaux-arts style. This masterful piece of art, located on the corner of Front and Yonge, was done in a newly stylish classical mode, in which a precisely ornamented stone façade introduced an astonishing glass-domed hall. It was a huge success for both Darling and Currie, and the building remained a Bank of Montreal branch until the early 1980s when the bank moved to a new location. After standing empty for ten years, the building was renovated and nowadays houses the Hockey Hall of Fame.

John A. Pearson

John Pearson was born in Chesterfield, England on June 22nd, 1867. Since both his father and grandfather were builders, Pearson was predestined to work in the construction industry. At the age of 16, Pearson apprenticed to a local architect. He received his education at Wesley College, University of Sheffield. However, Pearson didn’t like the way architecture was practiced in England. He was frustrated with the English attitude of “old boys with old ways“ and wanted to explore new architectural styles and possibilities. In 1888, at the age of 21, Pearson came to New York, where he planned to unleash his creativity. He soon made many connections in Toronto, in particular with architect Henry Sproatt, and therefore decided to move there permanently. Their progressive approach and innovative ideas caught the attention of Frank Darling and his partner, Samuel Currie, with whom they established a new company. Darling and Pearson instantly became very good friends. They shared an appreciation of British and American architecture yet concurred that Canadian architecture had to go its own way.

Darling and Pearson

In 1892, Darling and Curry won the contract to build the Victoria Hospital for Sick Children. During the construction of this project, Darling and Curry took into partnership two new associates: John Pearson and Henry Sproatt. The Victoria Hospital building was designed in Richardson Romanesque style and coated in red terra cotta. Samuel Curry and Henry Sproatt consequently left and the company was reduced to only Darling and Pearson. This successful firm lasted for another two decades beyond Darling’s death in 1923.

Sanford Fleming Building
by Wikimedia Commons

Darling and Pearson were very different in outward manner and personality. Darling was more quiet and considered to be the more artistic one, since he produced most of the sketches of their buildings. As Stephen Beszedits writes in his book Eminent Toronto Architects of the Past, “The artist in Darling frequently overshadowed the practical architect,” and, “He tended to pay scant attention to routine office administrative matters which bored him.” John Pearson, also a brilliant architect, was the more outgoing one who could easier establish new connections at high society social events. Many high-profile contracts were given to Darling and Pearson thanks to Pearson’s outgoing personality. This perfect combination of creativity, architectural talent, and networking skills helped them to create a legacy that had an enormous impact on the look of Toronto.

Their success began in 1898, when their firm was commissioned by the Canadian Bank of Commerce to design and build a number of bank branches across Canada. Their bank architecture became widely acknowledged for its balance of English and North American trends. Most of Darling and Pearson’s banks were designed in Beaux-arts style with Romanesque features. In Toronto alone, they designed at least eleven Canadian Bank of Commerce Branches, including the now abandoned building at 197 Yonge, as well as many others such as the Metropolitan Bank at Dundas and Ossington (1903), the Standard Bank at King and Jordan (1909-1910), the Imperial Bank at Queen and Roncesvalles (1910), and the Bank of Montreal at Yonge and Queen (1909-1910).

Darling and Pearson was one of the first Toronto architectural firm that designed skyscrapers. Their Union Bank (1903) in Winnipeg was the highest building in the whole British Empire during those days. They continued in this challenging trend of exceptionally tall buildings and designed the Dominion Bank headquarters at King and Yonge. This Beaux-arts style building with Renaissance Revival features stands at 51 storeys. It’s considered one of Darling and Pearson’s finest works. As Marta O’Brien, an architectural historian, writes, “With its granite base and white glazed terra cotta shaft and top storeys, it is the quintessential Beaux-Arts style skyscraper — using classical elements in a new and modern way.” This great example of Darling and Pearson’s mastery in combining modern early 20th century features with classical styles still stands and is nowadays commonly known as 1 King Street West.

Sigmund Samuel Building
by Wikimedia Commons

Darling and Pearson’s successful co-operation with the Canadian Bank of Commerce brought them financial and social success as well as support from the heads of these corporations. Some of the best Toronto businessmen, including railway tycoon Sir William Mackenzie, meat packer Sir Joseph Flavelle, and Bank of Commerce president, Sir Edmund B. Walker, hired Darling and Pearson to design their mansions. Furthermore, Darling and Pearson’s firm was chosen to design some other important projects thanks to these connections with people from Toronto’s business and social elite. Their new commissions during this period included Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto (1904-1907), the Royal Ontario Museum (1909-1914), the Toronto General Hospital (1909-1913), the Winnipeg Grain, and Produce Exchange (1909-1910), new buildings for Dalhousie University in Halifax (1912-1915), and the headquarters of Sun Life Assurance in Montreal (1916-1918).

As a side project, John Pearson worked as lead architect in the reconstruction of the Centre Block and Peace Tower after the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa burned down in 1916. On this project, Pearson collaborated with Montréal-based architect, Jean-Omer Marchand, who was considered the most talented French-Canadian architect of that time. At the end of his long and flourishing career, Pearson was the first architect who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Architecture from the University of Toronto in 1932. He continued to work in architecture after Darling’s death, until his retirement in 1935. He passed away at his home at 210 Forest Hill Road in 1940.

Frank Darling was a widely recognized member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, the Ontario Association of Architects, and the Toronto Guild of Civic Art. He was the first Canadian architect who was awarded the gold medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He died in May 1923, after eight months of failing health.

The tremendous architectural partnership of Darling and Pearson lasted until May 19th, 1923, when Frank Darling died. After Frank Darling’s death, his nephew joined the firm and Barry Cleveland became a full partner. The company was renamed Darling, Pearson and Cleveland and carried on even after Pearson’s death in 1940. Nowadays, the firm is still working as Toronto-based Stanford Downey Architects Incorporated.

Not only did Frank Darling and John Pearson form a building legacy that substantially shaped the look of Toronto as well as other Canadian cities, but they also influenced many generations of young architects and are responsible for the progression of the Classical Revival and Beaux-arts styles that played an important role in Canadian architecture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Most of their buildings are important landmarks that combine a quiet charm with refined taste.

The Most Notable Buildings

Alpha Delta Phi Toronto Chapter House (1894) – 94 Prince Arthur Avenue, Toronto

University of Toronto Faculty of Law (Flavelle House, 1901) – 81 Queens Park Crescent W, Toronto

197 Yonge Street (1905) – Toronto

Convocation Hall, University of Toronto (1906) – 31 Kings College Circle, Toronto

University of Toronto Sanford Fleming Building and Sigmund Samuel Building (1907, and additions to the latter in 1912)

The Church of St. Mary Magdalene (1908) – 477 Manning Avenue, Toronto

Toronto General Hospital (College Wing, now the MaRS Discovery District building, 1911) – 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto

Canadian Pacific Building (1913) – 69 Yonge Street, Toronto

1 King Street West (1914) – Toronto

Royal Ontario Museum (original building, 1914) – 100 Bloor Street West, Toronto

Parkwood Estate (1916) – 270 Parkwood Street N, Oshawa, Ontario

Summerhill-North Toronto CPR Station (1916) – 10 Scrivener Square, Toronto

Art Gallery of Ontario (original building, 1916) – 317 Dundas Street West, Toronto

101 College Street (1919) – 101 College Street, Toronto

Varsity Arena (1926) – 275 Bloor Street West, Toronto

Private Patients Pavilion (Thomas J. Bell Wing), Toronto General Hospital (1930) – 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto

Canadian Bank of Commerce Building (now Commerce Court North, 1930) – 199 Bay Street, Toronto

This shot has a wonderful composition, leading your eyes to the central point of glass ceiling. Well done, Jsaneb!