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As the grand old lady celebrates her 130th year, the Canadian National Exhibition has never looked so good. Despite the razzle-dazzle the annual exhibition offers, sometimes it's the subtle and historic relevance of Exhibition Place itself that provides the biggest rush.

Originally founded as the Toronto Industrial Exhibition in 1879, the 197-acre area was informally renamed the CNE in 1904, formerly in 1912. True, it would be impossible to properly explore The Ex's history in-depth within the confines of one story. But just as a stroll through the grounds can conjure up vivid daydreams of exhibitions past, perhaps a short read on the subject will whet your appetite to take advantage of the CNE's living history at your own leisure.

Linda Cobon, manager of records and archives at Exhibition Place, agreed the history of the fairgrounds adds to The Ex's allure.

"People come down for their own nostalgia," she said. "I think when people come to The Ex when they're younger there's something romantic about it ... when they come down when they're older it might not have that same magic but ... there are people who come to the grounds during the year to look at the buildings not only from an historical point of view but also from an architectural point of view."

For instance, consider the Fort Toronto (also known as Fort Rouille) memorial that sits mere steps from the CNE Bandshell. Built by French fur traders in 1750 as a trading post to defend against the British, the same Frenchmen burned it to the ground in 1759 to prevent it from falling into the hands of their European rivals. Two British cast iron cannons stand as part of the monument present day.

The Bandshell itself is also noteworthy.

Modelled after the Hollywood Bowl, it was built in 1936 at a cost of $47,000. Many great bands have graced its stage, including Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians and Louis Armstrong.

Or think of the magnificent Press Building. Initially christened the Administrative Building at its inception in 1905, it was re-named and re-purposed in 1957 as the headquarters for media covering The Ex. Nowadays, it again houses the CNE's administrative staff.

"The Press Building is the oldest existing Exhibition building," Cobon said. "Though The Ex's administration has since reoccupied the building, we left the name as that's how most Torontonians know it."

One interesting anecdote: fast-forward to 1946, and after the third Exhibition Stadium burned to the ground the fourth and final stadium was built on the same site. It was to become the first home of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, the defunct Toronto Blizzard soccer club and countless rock concerts and events until it was flattened in favour of a massive parking lot in the late 1990s.

But it was the establishment of the fourth Exhibition Stadium that led to more modern structures being built on the grounds, Cobon continued, including the Food Building in 1954, the Shell Oil Tower in 1955, the Queen Elizabeth II Building in 1957, the Princess Margaret Fountain in 1958 and the Dufferin Gate in 1959.

"It certainly did set the tone," she said of the old stadium, adding the future focus of Exhibition Place is the 'greening' of the park. "All the buildings will be getting a second look. For instance, on the roof of the Horse Palace there's a major installation of solar panels and a meadow up there (200 square feet)."

The current Dufferin Gate is but a shadow of its former self. Still, its history is fascinating having been rebuilt three times (in 1895, 1910 and 1959). Before the Princes' Gates were built, the Dufferin Gate served as the main entrance to the grounds. It is adorned by a star decoration that hangs from the top of the arch, which was added during Canada's centennial celebrations in 1967. An earlier, more glorious version, erected in 1910 (and described as an ornate Beaux-Arts-style triumphal arch), was dismantled in the 1950s to make way for the Gardiner Expressway.

Then there's the Automotive Building. Built in 1929, the building was initially used to display the latest car models to the public. During the Second World War, it was the home to Toronto's naval reserve, the HMCS York.

It is currently being renovated and will re-open in June 2009 as a conference centre.

"When they build this new conference centre, it'll be the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standard and that's the big focus now: to move toward environmentally friendly buildings," Cobon said. "Exhibition Place also aims to have its own energy source and to be self-sustainable (in the coming years)."

Lastly, the next time you gaze upon the Princes' Gates, which were opened in 1927 by Edward, Prince of Wales and his brother, Prince George, take note of the nine pillars on either side of the centre arch of the gates. These represent the participating provinces of Confederation at the time. Newfoundland and Labrador didn't join Confederation until 1949.

 

Toronto Community News hosted a Summer in the City series with the final installment featuring the CNE. Visit insidetoronto.com and type in summer5 to read this feature.