in 1796 the first anglican priest arrived from england to minister to the citizens of york. the following year the province of ontario set aside the piece of land on the corner of church and king streets for the building of a church. the present cathedral, the fourth erected on the site opened in 1853 replacing the structure destroyed in the great fire of 1849. the first bishop of toronto, the right reverend john strachan, along with a number of his parishioners, played an important role in the early development of the city of toronto and the province of ontario. over the years, the cathedral, the mother church for anglicans in the diocese of toronto, has been a place of worship, prayer and outreach in the heart of a busy community.
in 1997, this structure was designated as a heritage building.
the main feature of the church is its 100-foot high tower; in the olden days it was the tallest in the canada and is the first sight that immigrants see when they step off the union station to the south. within the tower/spire is a "peal of twelve change-ringing bells, the only such ring of 12 in North America. A unique presence in the Cathedral's musical life, "The Bells of Old York" are rung by members of The St. James' Cathedral Guild of Change Ringers." (you can read about the bells on here: http://www.stjamescathedral.on.ca/HistorybrArchitecture/BellTower/tabid/94/Default.aspx
on the west lawn of the church grounds, there is a gazebo that almost looks like a replica of the church and its main tower. on the east is st. james park, with a large bandstand gazebo and an old stone fountain surrounded in the spring and summer by beautiful flowers and where the locals can sit and relax (and talk incessantly on their cellphones!).
@jsw0109 - thank you, jeff.