There's something incredibly special about the grand structure which lies at the terminating vista of University Avenue’s main thoroughfare. Climbing around on the ornate sandstone and lurking within the legendary attic of the Ontario Legislative Building, otherwise known as Queen’s Park, brought about emotions that I rarely feel.
As per usual, the biggest fault in any security system is the access that is almost always guaranteed from the roof. It never ceases to amaze me how a bit of scaffolding can bring a giant like this to it's knees. That being said, it was far from easy. As I scrambled up the temporary supports, not only was a patrol doing their rounds of the building but tradesmen were also hard at work at times within arms reach below me. Luckily, cast under a shadow was a a nifty little corner which gave me a covert route up the side of the building.
After shooting the skyline for awhile, I tried making my way into the hidden chambers under my feet. The first door I opened went into a beautiful mechanical room, yet I didn't feel as though it lived up to the mythical wonder of this attic I had heard so much about, so I kept searching. A little hatch on the roof brought me into a cramped hallway which eventually led out into a junction which splintered into 3 dimly lit hallways. I carefully peaked around for a few minutes, making sure not to set off any alarms, and then began examining a strange steel door. I tried pushing it open, but nothing happened. I gave it a pull, still nothing. It was antique, and I had never seen anything like it. Then I tried giving it a firm tug to the side, and as it slowly rolled open I realized that it was operating on a counter weight system. I cautiously stepped into the unknown and let the mechanism close behind me. After waiting a moment to catch my breath, my eyes adjusted to the light and everything came into focus. The tales were true, this place and all it's beauty existed and more.
Endless beams of ancient wood were crossing in all directions, supporting platforms that extended far out of sight. Ladders rose from within the pathways and cables hung like spider webs, suspending the chaos in place. Wood and metal were indistinguishable as they weaved their way up and around the enormous space which sat silent above the governing body of the province. To my right was a huge circular window, an eye staring out into the city, and to my left was the counter weight precariously hanging off the massive industrial door. All around me is beautiful wood, smooth and warm, filling the air with a rich aged smell.
The platforms stretched around the perimeter of the attic, every so often protruding out to the edges where a hatch was tucked in the corner. To gain access to these little portals, I had to literally squeeze in between little slits in the wood. Each one led to a floodlight on the turrets of the building, where I climbed out and took a few extra shots of the skyline. After exploring every nook and cranny of the attic, I gently opened up one of the windows that looked out onto University Avenue and sat on the facade of the building. I watched as cars broke like water against the edge of Queen’s Park and listened to the quiet dancing of the wind running up the contours of the building.
Everything about this night was perfect.
