Union Station
Toronto
Union Station is the largest railway station in the city. With its columns and its vast hall, it ranks among the finest public buildings in the country.
A long-awaited station
Work began in 1913 and lasted 14 years. On 6 August 1927 a royal guest opened the station in front of a big crowd. It was a very short ceremony, lasting just 11 minutes. A few days later, on 11 August, the first passenger trains left. Before air travel, many new families arrived here after landing from ships on the coast.
The Beaux-Arts style
The designers chose the Beaux-Arts style, taught at a famous school in Paris. There are huge columns, arches and perfect symmetry. Each column is about 12 metres tall and weighs 75 tonnes.
The Great Hall
The great hall has an arched ceiling, 26 metres high. Big arched windows, four storeys tall, fill it with light. High up, the names of cities reached by the trains are carved.
Seen from outside
Look at the row of columns from the far side of the plaza. Follow it with your eyes from one end to the other. Then look at the long front of pale stone, the same on the right and on the left.
