Toronto Star

In the architecture of the 21st century, political correctness is a design factor like any other. Sometimes this makes sense, sometimes less so. In the case of Osgoode Hall, it hasn't always been easy to tell which is which. The provincially owned building, on the northeast corner of Queen and University, ranks among the most significant heritage properties in Canada, let alone Toronto. It has been altered and added to over the decades, but so far has managed to retain its architectural integrity. The oldest parts of the structure date back to the 1830s, the newest to the 1970s. So when former chief justice Roy McMurtry started agitating a decade ago to make the building accessible to the disabled, there was some concern – and not just among preservationists. Mary Louise Dickson, a lawyer, bencher and Osgoode Hall regular, was one of those less than thrilled at what design fate might befall it. What made this especially interesting was that Dickson, who had polio as a child, uses a wheelchair. For years, she has used a handicapped entrance on the east side of Osgoode Hall. It has never presented any problems.