TORONTO – The Ontario Heritage Foundation and The Fairmont Royal York today unveiled a provincial plaque to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of Toronto's famous Royal York Hotel, located on Front Street.

"Ontario's stories are told through these familiar blue and gold provincial plaques," said The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, Chairman of the Ontario Heritage Foundation. "The Royal York Hotel holds a special place in Ontario's history as a well-loved landmark and a dramatic feature of the Toronto cityscape. We are delighted to commemorate this magnificent hotel."

"The Ontario government is committed to preserving and protecting buildings like the Royal York Hotel, as part of the cultural legacy of this province and its people," said Minister of Culture Madeleine Meilleur. "This grand hotel is a Toronto icon, and I am delighted that we can celebrate its role in the city's growth and evolution with a provincial plaque."

Built for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), the Royal York Hotel was the largest of the CPR's coast-to-coast chain of grand hotels. The skyscraper hotel, designed by Montreal architects Ross and Macdonald in association with Sproatt and Rolph of Toronto, was the largest hotel in the British Commonwealth and dramatically altered the Toronto skyline.

"Since the hotel's opening on June 11, 1929," said Francisco Gomez, Regional Vice-President & General Manager of The Fairmont Royal York, "its history has reflected the history of Toronto. Our past continues to be brought to life by the personal accounts of past and present employees and through such vital organizations as the Ontario Heritage Foundation."

In contrast to the long, low, colonnaded Union Station across the street, the Royal York's 28 storeys of steel frame encased in Indiana limestone rose in steps to a steeply pitched copper château roof. The skyscraper hotel instantly became a Toronto landmark, surpassing the height of other buildings in the city and dominating the skyline for three or more decades. Since 1929, this landmark hotel has provided a resplendent setting for conventions, entertainers, teas, débutante balls and royal visits. Its exquisitely decorated rooms and interiors have added elegance to the City of Toronto. Today, The Fairmont Royal York remains an important Toronto landmark.

"Although Toronto's skyline is a sea of skyscrapers," said Gomez, "the Royal York still stands out on its own. More than a magnificent piece of architecture or a grand hotel, the Royal York lives through the over 40 million visitors who have walked through its doors."

This unveiling is part of the Foundation's Provincial Plaque Program that commemorates significant people, places and events in Ontario's history. The Foundation has unveiled more than 1,150 of these distinctive blue and gold plaques.

The Ontario Heritage Foundation is a not-for-profit agency of the Government of Ontario, dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage.

– 30 –

Contacts:

Gordon Pim
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Ontario Heritage Foundation
Telephone: 416-325-1484
E-mail: gordon.pim@heritagefdn.on.ca

Melanie Coates
Regional Director Public Relations
The Fairmont Royal York
Telephone: 416-860-4556
E-mail: Melanie.Coates@Fairmont.com