Centennial Park Conservatory

The Centennial Park Conservatory dates from the same moment as the park that gives it its name. The park was opened in 1967 by the former Borough of Etobicoke to mark the hundredth anniversary of Canadian Confederation, on land that had belonged to the Hirons dairy farm. The greenhouse complex was designed and built in 1969 and formally opened on 21 March 1970 by Etobicoke's mayor, Mr Horton.

It began with one large tropical house and two smaller side houses that were originally used for plant production. Over time the wings were turned to display use: one became an arid house, the other a seasonal display house. Since Etobicoke became part of the City of Toronto, the conservatory has been looked after by the municipal parks division, which also runs the Allan Gardens conservatory.

The sources consulted name no architect and record no major restoration, so those points are left undocumented here. The surrounding park is currently the subject of a master plan for improvements.

The conservatory is a group of three display houses: a large central house given over to tropical plants, and two smaller wings on either side, the south one for arid species and the north one for displays that change with the seasons. A production greenhouse is attached to the complex and is used to raise plants for the city's parks.

Municipal and encyclopaedic sources put the planted area at about 12,000 square feet, or close to 1,100 square metres. The design is functional, typical of municipal glasshouses of the 1960s: public display and horticultural production share one building, rather than a monumental iron-and-glass pavilion on the nineteenth-century model. The sources consulted do not give the exact structure, materials or heights.

According to the City of Toronto, the main house holds around 200 varieties of tropical plants that flower year-round, among them palms, crotons, ornamental gingers, hibiscus, orchids and bromeliads. Fruit trees such as banana, soursop and papaya are grown as well. The south wing gathers cacti and succulents, including agaves, prickly pears (Opuntia) and aloes.

The north wing hosts floral displays renewed each season. Fixtures of the annual calendar include a Japanese chrysanthemum show on the first Sunday of November, the Christmas show with its poinsettias opening on the second Sunday of December, and an Easter spring show with hyacinths, tulips, hydrangeas and Easter lilies. One visitor account also mentions goldfish, turtles and birds living in the houses.

The conservatory stands in Centennial Park in western Toronto, at 151 Elmcrest Road. Admission is free, the building is wheelchair accessible and parking is available close by. An hour is usually enough to walk through the three houses.

The display seasons (chrysanthemums in November, Christmas in December, Easter in spring) are the best times to go; the rest of the year the tropical house offers a warm refuge in the depths of a Canadian winter. The park itself is very large (over 200 hectares) and has sports and leisure facilities nearby; because it is being redeveloped, it is worth checking access before travelling.