The Canadian Pacific Building is a 15-storey highrise at 69 Yonge Street in the city's downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, designed by the architectural firm of Darling and Pearson. When completed in 1913 as corporate headquarters for the Canadian Pacific Railway, it was the tallest building in Canada and the British Empire.[4]
History
The Canadian Pacific Building was erected at a time when "the Canadian Pacific Railway was enjoying its greatest period of prosperity under the leadership of Sir Thomas Shaugnessy". The railway wanted to incorporate various corporate offices around the city in one location. The location contained a ticket office for the convenience of customers, to avoid them having to head down to Union Station to purchase tickets; by 1990 the original marble ticket office had been removed to make way for a drug store. Construction started in 1911 and was completed by 1913. The ground floor contained a two-storey marble lobby and ticket office. Above the ticket office were various other company functions, including the lucrative telegraph business. The railway had plenty of space left in the building available to be leased out to other business tenants.[4] Built in an Edwardian Style, it was a "dramatic change from CPR's Château-style of architecture".