"The Palace of Purification"

[JeffR]

was the mocking description Depression-weary Torontonians gave to the Victoria Park Pumping Station when it was completed in 1935. Now called the RC Harris Water Filtration Plant in honor of the Public Works Commissioner who got it built, the complex provides nearly half of the drinking water for Toronto and neighboring York Region. It's also a popular location for movie shoots, and for photography-obsessed geezers like me. Tours are not currently being provided due to renovation inside, but here are some shots of the exterior.

The lower complex, overlooking Lake Ontario (the upper complex is visible on the right in the second photo):









A fountain adorns the steps to the upper complex:

[Blue_In_AK]

1. That's a pretty imposing structure for a water-treatment plant.

They always did things up in such a grand way in the old days.

[JeffR]

3. And it's serving millions more people than when it was built.

Really a marvel. They're installing some sort of new purifying process for water turned back into the lake, so quite a bit of the complex is behind construction fences these days. When I get inside, I'll try to bring back photos. It's really beautiful.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. wow.. do you think Toronto

knew it had a future in the film industry?

[JeffR]

4. You'd think so. In addition to attracting Hollywood with lower costs

(or did for a while anyway) Hogtown makes a handy stand-in for Chicago and even New York if the filmmakers are careful with the locations and camera angles.