50 years of edible and architectural delights

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Archiseek / Canada / News / 2004 / September 3

Last year, the Canadian National Exhibition celebrated its 125th birthday. This year, there's another red-letter birthday to mark on the Ex's calendar: The Food Building turned 50 this past Wednesday. Construction on the Food Products Building, as it is officially called, began in January of 1954 and it opened nine months later on Sept. 1. It cost of $1.5-million. Replacing the old 1921 Pure Foods Building that stood on the same site, the Richard A. Fisher design has always been one of my favourite buildings at the CNE. The Food Building was "heralded as the first example of Modern Architecture on the exhibition grounds," according to the CNE archives and it's not difficult to see why. First of all, it's long and low and very "Jetsons-esque," with its two entrance bridges flanked by futuristic archways on either side.

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