The Arthur Meighen Building at
25 St. Clair Avenue East is a major central Toronto Postal Station. In 1994, at the request of
Canada Post, Public Works & Government Services Canada undertook a programme to upgrade the landscaping
and provide more complete accessibility. A single ramp had been installed several years prior, but this solution
did not acknowledge the building's two separate entrances which lead to two separate service areas; each with different
hours of operation.
While the project included extensive hard landscaping, the most interesting
challenge was the provision of ramped access to the two entrances. The adopted
solution ultimately included the creation of two equal ramps with flared points
of entry from the municipal sidewalk. The grade change allowed a modest slope of only 1:20,
thus avoiding much of the institutional appearance of most handicapped accessibility retrofits.
The intention was that the gently sloped sidewalks could become a natural point of access
for all.
Materials were selected for compatibility with the existing building. Stanstead gray,
black, and red granites from Canadian sources were incorporated in a way that makes the alterations
appear as if they had been there all along.<
Owner: Canada Post
Architect: George Robb Architect
Contractor: Struct-Con Construction Ltd
Construction Cost: $320,000.00