Ontario Government Buildings

Two of the buildings of the complex: Mowat (left) and Hearst (right) Blocks

The Ontario Government Buildings are a set of office buildings in Toronto, Canada home to most of the various ministries of Ontario's provincial government. They are located just east of Queen's Park on Bay Street. It consists of four buildings:

• The Ferguson Block: A 14 storey building that was completed in 1969, designed in the International Style by Shore Tilbe Henschel Irwin Architects and Engineers (now Shore Tilbe Irwin + Partners). The building is named for former Premier George H. Ferguson, and is located at 77 Wellesley Street West.
• The Hearst Block is home to Ontario's provincial Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. The building is named for former Premier William Howard Hearst. It is 10 storeys high.
• The Hepburn Block is home to various ministries, including the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The 14 storey building is named for former Ontario Premier Mitchell Hepburn. It was completed in 1969.
• The Mowat Block is 24 storeys high and is named after the third Premier of Ontario, Sir Oliver Mowat.
• The Macdonald Block is named for the first Premier of Ontario, Sir John Sandfield Macdonald. It was completed in 1968 (along with the Hepburn Block), and is located at 900 Bay Street. This block connects the four towers along the first two storeys of each and has a bridge to the Whitney Block from its second storey.

The Whitney Block (left) and the (clockwise from top left) Ferguson, Hearst, Mowat, and Hepburn Blocks, with the 2 storey Macdonald block connecting the four together.

The massive construction site for the Ontario Government Buildings was the filming location for Buster Keaton's last film, "The Reporter," an industrial safety short that was released under the title The Scribe.

Other government buildings nearby include:

• Whitney Block
• Ontario Power Building
• Frost Building

References

• Ferguson Block
• Macdonald Block

Coordinates: 43°39′50″N 79°23′16″W / 43.663924°N 79.387679°W