Downtown Yonge in Toronto, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
R. C. Harris
Toronto's First Commissioner of Works
| — | (1875-1945) | — |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 29, 2022
1. R. C. Harris Marker
Erected by Toronto Legacy Project and Heritage Toronto.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Toronto Heritage series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.
Location. 43° 39.13′ N, 79° 22.879′ W. Marker is in Toronto, Ontario. It is in Downtown Yonge. It is on Queen Street West just west of James Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located beside the sidewalk, directly in front of Toronto's Old City Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 60 Queen Street West, Toronto ON M5H 2M3, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Toronto and on the Golden Horseshoe. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Old City Hall Cenotaph (a few steps from this marker); "Old" City Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); The Santa Claus Parade / La Parade du Père Noël (within shouting distance of this marker); Old City Hall / Ancien hôtel de ville (within shouting distance of this marker); Public Health in Toronto (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Bay Queen Street Store / Le Magasin la Baie de la Rue Queen (about 120 meters away); Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters (about 150 meters away); Cy McLean (about 210 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toronto.
Also see . . .
1. Roland Caldwell Harris.
After the position of Commissioner of Works and City Engineer was created by Toronto City Council in 1912, he was the first person appointed to the post. Engineering was Harris’s passion although he had no formal education in that field. He used his knowledge on a number of important city projects including the filtration plant and the viaduct. The viaduct(Submitted on October 17, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)was finished in 1918 and the filtration plant was opened in 1941. Both the viaduct and the plant exemplified Harris' foresight, as the viaduct contained a lower deck capable of holding trains which weren't introduced until 48 years after its construction, and the filtration plant had embedded piping and extra rooms in anticipation of an expansion.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 29, 20222. R. C. Harris Marker(looking north from Queen Street West • Old City Hall in background)
2. R.C. Harris Filtration Plant, Toronto, Ontario.
His first major project was the prince Edward Viaduct crossing the Don River (National Historic Civil Engineering site – 1986). Later, the R.C. Harris Filtration Plant was built when the first filtration plant on the Toronto Islands became too small. Due to Harris’ and his consultants’ foresight, plenty of space was left for the plant’s expansion which took place between 1955-1958 at a cost of $7.3 million. It is Metropolitan Toronto’s largest water filtration plant and has a rated capacity of one million cubic metres per day.(Submitted on October 17, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. The City Builder.
Besides the(Submitted on October 17, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)landmark public works for which he’s best known — the Prince Edward Viaduct and the R.C. Harris Filtration Plant — he built most of Toronto’s signature bridges (Spadina Road, Mount Pleasant, Vale of Avoca), paved or constructed 700 miles of new roads and sidewalks, and expanded the city’s transit infrastructure. His most important accomplishment, however, was establishing the network of water reservoirs, sewer trunks, and filtration plants that dramatically improved the city’s public health standards and laid the groundwork for Toronto’s ambitious outward expansion in the 1920s and 1930s.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 29, 20223. Toronto Old City Hall
Credits. This page was last revised on October 17, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 17, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 210 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 17, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
