There's a Half-Built Gothic Cathedral Hidden in Toronto and Almost Nobody Knows It

In 1883, the Anglican Diocese of Toronto had an extraordinary vision: a massive Gothic Revival cathedral that would rival the great churches of England, right in the heart of the city. Work began in 1885. Only a quarter of it was ever built. In 1936, the whole dream was officially abandoned.

This is the full story of the Cathedral of St. Alban the Martyr — Toronto's greatest architectural "what if."

We cover the original ambitious design by architect Richard Cunningham Windeyer, inspired by St. Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire, England. The plan called for a 135-foot tower, a cruciform floorplan, and a building that would have dominated the Toronto skyline. Then came the funding crises, the depression of the 1890s, two different architects, Sir Henry Pellatt's last-ditch revival attempt, World War I, a fire in 1929, and finally — Bishop Derwyn Owen's formal cancellation in 1936.

Today, only the chancel survives at 100 Howland Avenue in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood, now used as a school chapel for Royal St. George's College — built on the very foundations that were meant for the nave of a cathedral that never was.

📍 Location: 100 Howland Avenue, Toronto, ON (The Annex / Seaton Village)

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