Bishop's Palace at St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica

Exterior Conservation

Completed in late 2020, the Exterior Conservation of the Bishop’s Palace (or Rectory), is the most recent phase of the implementation of the Masterplan for the Rehabilitation of St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica. Designed by architect William Thomas, the 1845 Bishop’s Palace has been recognized by the Toronto Historical Board as the oldest building in the City still in use for its original purpose.

The scope and intent of the exterior conservation project was to stabilize, improve, and preserve the deteriorated heritage building envelope, including intricate Berea sandstone carvings, gothic-style pinnacles, decorative brick detailing, and stained-glass windows. Simultaneously, the project upgraded the failing asphalt shingle roof, and replaced obsolete, vinyl-clad windows with new units providing significantly enhanced thermal and acoustic performance. A key objective was to maintain the architectural coherence of the group of buildings which together make up the historic site at St. Michael’s.