Some of the most spectacular pieces of historical architecture in downtown Toronto are old churches. A prime example of this is St. James Cathedral, a beautiful edifice situated on the corner of King Street East and Church Street. A fully-functional Anglican church up to this day, it is certainly worth a visit.
While it is a stately and seemingly indestructible presence today, St. James has had a rough history. The current building’s predecessors, built in 1807 and 1839, burned down in terrible fires. The building’s current incarnation was constructed between the 1850s and 1870s in spectacular Gothic Revival style. Over the years, St. James has been among the most prominent c
hurches for Anglicans in Toronto. In fact, whenever Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visits Toronto, she exclusively attends St. James. When the Queen last visited Toronto in July 2010, St. James was forced to sell tickets for pew space as a result of the high demand from those wanting to attend church with royalty!
Perhaps the best reason to visit St. James is for its striking architecture. The most beautiful aspect of the building is it’s commanding spire, which is 93 metres (305 feet) high and to this day makes St. James the second-tallest cathedral in Canada (the tallest being St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal). Inside, there are numerous colonnades, lovely stained glass windows, and an organ with over 5000 individual pipes! For those interested in music, there are organ recitals held each Tuesday at 1:00 PM from September until June. Finally, there are many plaques on the walls of the cathedral acknowledging many of the famous Torontonians who were prominent in the church (such as John Strachan, the first Bishop of Toronto, and William Jarvis, one of Toronto’s first sheriffs).
A visit to St. James Cathedral is one of the best things to do in Toronto for those interested in architecture, history, religion, and music!
TIPS FOR VISITORS: St. James Cathedral is easily accessible via public transit as it is located directly along the King Street streetcar line (at the Church Street stop). It is also a prominent feature along the route of CitySightseeing Toronto/ShopDineTour’s city tour, with stops #21 and #23 being the most convenient exit points. Driving to the Cathedral is most certainly not recommended as traffic can be maddening and parking limited and expensive. Visitors should take note that the building will not be available to casual tourists during worship times.



