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Nine diverse housing projects, ranging from a Kingston apartment building constructed in 1876 to a Toronto co-op built in 1913 to an affordable housing project just completed this year in Ottawa, are the top selections of this year’s Ontario Association of Architects’ Queen’s Park Picks.

Sponsored with the active support of members of the Ontario Legislature from all political parties, the program is designed to encourage recognition and appreciation of Ontario’s architecture. This is the ninth year the program has been in existence

Each year Ontario MPPs are invited to nominate their favourite building or structure within their riding.

In keeping with the OAA’s annual conference earlier this year, where the topic was Housing Pushing the Envelope, the theme was housing.

In April invitations were sent out to the MPPs, who had six months to nominate a building or structure. There were 32 submissions from 29 MPPs from right across the province.

Those submissions were reviewed and shortlisted by the association’s policy advisory co-ordination team using criteria that evaluates which buildings have a profound impact of architecture on communities across Ontario.

The top nine were formally announced at a special Oct. 22 reception at Queen’s Park.

The selections were:

• Bain Apartments Co- Operative (Formerly Riverdale Courts) in Toronto: The architect for the original 1914 building was Eden Smith and Sons. The architect for a 1923 addition was F. H. Marani.
• Carlington Community Health Centre in Ottawa: The architect was CSV Consultants Inc. The renovation architect was James Edwards Architect and Frank Fentiman Architect.
• Casey House in Toronto: The architect was Hariri Pontarini Architects.
• Harvey Woods Lofts in Woodstock: The architect was Invizij Architects Inc.
• The Kensington Apartments in Kingston: The Architect was John Power and Sons. The renovation architect was Shoalts and Zaback Architects Ltd.
• Mikinàk Ottawa Community Housing in Ottawa: The engineer was Arcadis Architects (Canada) Inc.
• Sagatay in Toronto: The architect was Hilditch Architect Inc.
• Suswin Village in North Bay: The architect was Larocque Elder Architects, Architectes Inc.
• Ulster House in Toronto: The architect was LGA Architectural Partners Ltd.

Guest speakers at the Oct. 22 reception included Attorney General Doug Downey, NDP Toronto Centre MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam and Green Party Leader and Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner.

Each talked about their personal appreciation for architecture and Ontario’s built environment, says OAA president Settimo Vilardi, who also spoke at the event.

“It was truly inspiring to see passionate advocates for better housing solutions, highlighting the importance of collaboration in creating vibrant living spaces that improve everyone’s quality of life.”

For more on the buildings chosen this year, as well as to see previous selections, visit .