This is a companion thread to
my list of the pre-war giants of the United States, and is in honor of the little festivities over in Vancouver. Unlike the U.S. list, this combines all the Canadian cities, so it’s dominated by Toronto and Montréal, who were neck-to-neck in population with Montréal slightly ahead
(1,395,400 to 1,117,470 in 1951). Vancouver was third in population with 530,728 inhabitants.
The national population in 1950 was 13,712,000, and the Prime Minister was Louis St. Laurent of Quebec. His Liberal government saw Newfoundland join the Federation in 1949, and construction commenced on the Trans-Canada Highway in 1950. The St. Lawrence Seaway would begin four years later. The Governor General was Viscount (later Earl) Alexander of Tunis, representing HM George VI. The King was in increasingly frail health, and it was only a little over a year from the end of 1950 until the crown passed to his daughter, Elizabeth.
Feel free to point out any mistake, and if you're curious I'm south of the border.
The buildings:
1) Commerce Court North, Toronto, 145 m, 1931
This slender building would be Canada’s tallest until Place Ville-Marie was completed in Montréal in 1962
(sixty7architectureroad.com)
UC) St. Joseph's Oratory, Montréal, 129 m, not finished until 1967
Construction started in 1924, but the Oratory never was Montréal's tallest as Ville Place-Marie was completed four years earlier.
(imtl.org)
2) Royal York Hotel, Toronto, 124 m, 1929
(Wordpress)
3) Sun Life Building, Montréal, 122 m, 1931
The largest building by floor area in the Commonwealth at the time.
(imtl.org)
4) Tour de la Banque Royale, Montréal, 121 m, 1928
(Wikimedia)
UC) Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Toronto, 115 m, 1951
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
5) Hotel Vancouver, 111 m, 1939
Now under the Fairmont brand; is in the Olympics SSP banner.
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
6) City Hall, Toronto, 104 m, 1899
The modern City Hall was built in 1965.
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
(gothereguide.com)
7) Marine Building, Vancouver, 98 m, 1930
Also in SSP’s Olympics banner.
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
(track0.com)
8) Aldred Building, Montréal, 97 m, 1931
(citynoise.org)
9) Bell Building, Montréal, 96 m, 1929
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
10) St. James Cathedral, Toronto, 93 m, 1809
(Wordpress)
11) Parliament, Ottawa, 92 m, completed 1927
(Canada-maps.org)
12) Basilique Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Québec, 91 m, 1923
(hickerphoto.com)
13) Victoria Tower, Toronto, 88 m, 1927
Despite its national top ten position in 1950, today this building does not make the top 100 for Toronto.
(Emporis, sorry about the huge watermark)
14) Canada Life Building, Toronto, 87 m, 1931
(trailcanada.com)
15) Toronto Star Building, 87 m, 1929
Demolished in 1972 to make way for First Canadian Place
(Wikimedia)
16) Royal Bank Building, Vancouver, 85 m, 1937
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
17) Sun Tower, Vancouver, 84 m, 1912
(Travelpod.com)
18) Édifice Price, Québec, 82 m, 1930
(quebechebdo.com)
19) Sterling Tower, Toronto, 82 m, 1928
(Wikimedia)
20) Château Frontenac, Québec, 80 m, 1924
(digitalpoptosis.com)
21) St. Michael's Cathedral, Toronto, 79 m, 1848
(biocrawler.com)
22) Laurentian Hotel, Montréal, 78 m, 1948
Demolished in 1978, only thirty years after opening.
(Imageshack)
23) Victory Building, Toronto, 78 m, 1937
(Flickr)
24) Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, 75 m, 1935
On the photo’s left edge
(uhn.ca)
25) Manitoba Legislative Building, Winnipeg, 74 m, 1920
Tallest in the Prairie Provinces
(travelpod)
26) Royal Bank Building, Toronto, 72 m, 1915
(butlerme.com)
27) Église Saint-Pierre-Apôtre, Montréal, 72 m
(imtl.org)
28) Delta Bessborough, Saskatoon, 71 m, 1932
Tallest in Saskatchewan
(saskatoonlive.com)
29) Canada Permanent Trust Building, Toronto, 70 m, 1930
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
30) Canada Building, Windsor, 70 m, 1928
(Wikimedia)
31) Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde, Montréal, 70 m to tip of spire, 1886
(Flickr)
32) Christ Church Cathedral, Montréal, 70 m, 1859
(imtl.org)
33) Basilique Notre-Dame, Montréal, 70 m, 1829
(tripadvisor.com)
(sprawl.com)
34) St. Patrick's Basilica, Montréal, 69 m, 1847
(travelandtransitions.com)
35) Concourse Building, Toronto, 68 m, 1928
(Flickr)
36) Holy Rosary Cathedral, Vancouver, 66 m, 1900
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
37) Whitney Block, Toronto, 65 m, 1933
(topleftpixel.com)
38) Pigott Building, Hamilton, 64 m, 1929
(groundspeak.com)
A few more:
Alberta Legislative Building, Edmonton, 57 m, 1912
Tallest in Alberta
(Flickr)
Fairmont Palliser Hotel, Calgary, 55 m, 1914
Tallest in Calgary
(booking.com)
Dominion Building, Vancouver, 53 ft, 1910
When completed the tallest building in the Commonwealth.
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Fixed.
Edit: looks like "roof height" is a better sort than "official height."
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