Queen’s Park halls extra decked for holidays

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TORONTO — The holiday season has kicked off in a big way at Queen's Park this year, with its pink palace decked out in more Christmas lights and decor than before as the Speaker strives to make the building more open and inviting to the public.

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Outside the Ontario Legislature – where in years past there was little more than one large tree shrouded in holiday lights – the hedges and tree trunks of the massive lawn are now illuminated, along with illuminated reindeer-shaped decorations and strings of lights lining the main entrance.

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Inside, the grand staircase has long put on a grand Christmas display, with twinkling trees, banisters draped in lights and poinsettias lining the steps.

This year, the holiday decor has expanded throughout the building to include a large plastic poinsettia tree, real poinsettias extending beyond the grand staircase, giant chandeliers with lights hanging above the first floor, arches of lights in the hallways and Christmas trees at the hall doors.

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Donna Skelly, who was appointed speaker earlier this year, said her mission is to make the Legislature more open, accessible and welcoming to the public.

The Legislature is a beautiful building, especially at Christmas, Skelly said.

She recalled one occasion in December, shortly after her election, when she walked down the hallway after an evening of sitting, tucking up her heels and stamping her feet on the thick green carpet, thinking how lucky she was to work there.

“When I was elected speaker, I wanted to make sure that other people across the province had the same opportunity to come here and would want to come here,” she said.

“One of the things I noticed was that the exterior was a little disappointing… Whether it was the lack of finishing or even investment in maintaining this building, it had been neglected over the years and I just wanted to make sure it was given the respect it deserves.”

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Politicians of all stripes stood to give the awards a standing ovation on Tuesday after Liberal MP Adil Shamji heaped praise on them during question period.

“Madam Speaker, let me begin by praising the impressive transformation of the legislature,” he said.

“Between the decorations, trees and applause, it's a reminder that Christmas is coming.

Shamji then launched an attack on the government's Skill Development Fund.

Minutes of meetings of the Internal Economic Council, a nonpartisan body responsible for the finances and administration of the Legislature, suggest even grander plans were in the works.

The council approved spending $500,000 to purchase holiday decorations this year and an annual amount of $150,000 to store, set up and take down those decorations.

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Skelly couldn't say the total amount actually spent, but she said it ended up being just a fraction of that budget and most of the decor was rented.

“The original hope was that we could light up the entire building,” she said. “The (legislative) building in British Columbia is lit up. We bought some permanent lights on the outside, but… we're under budget, way under budget.”

Noah Jarvis, director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation of Ontario, said it's possible the costs could increase in the future and actually reach $500,000, as the minutes refer to an annual review of the issue to further “improve” the decor.

“At the end of the day, Queen's Park doesn't have to be all over the place,” he said. “Average Ontarians can spruce up their properties for much less money.”

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The decor was installed earlier than usual this year, which meant using artificial trees instead of real ones, Skelly said. She also plans to extend it until Orthodox Christmas in January.

Skelly said the goal of getting more people involved in the Legislature is personal to her. She's originally from northern Ontario and says the connection to Queen's Park is missing.

“My very first trip as a speaker was to my hometown, to my high school in Sudbury,” she said. “It’s an all-girls high school and I went back to talk to them and it really tugged at the heartstrings.

“I'm making a sincere effort to make sure that this building is accessible and that people in Ontario will want to come here. This is their home and I want them … to feel welcome at Queen's Park.”

To this end, the legislature undertakes a number of activities throughout the year, especially during the holiday season.

There will be a holiday craft market on Saturday. The Assembly Gift Shop will host a “Taste the Holidays” event on December 1st, the same day as the children's choir's annual Christmas lunchtime performance.

Additionally, holiday lighting events, which were also held last year, will begin later in December. Members of the public can tour the building, see Santa, hear carols and make holiday crafts.

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