299 Queen Street West

Architectural History and Heritage Designation

The site at 299 Queen Street West has a layered history predating the current structure. It was originally occupied by Beverley House, a residence built in 1812 on Lot 16 for D’Arcy Boulton Jr., son of G. D'Arcy Boulton, and named for his brother-in-law Sir John Beverley Robinson. The home was modified from a smaller original Boulton home and served briefly as a residence for Governor General Charles Poulett Thomson, 1st Baron Sydenham. It remained in the Robinson family until 1910 when Elizabeth Street Robinson, widow of Christopher Robinson, sold the property, leading to its demolition after 1911. The present five-storey building was constructed in 1913 by the architecture firm Burke, Horwood and White to serve as the national headquarters for the Methodist Church of Canada. Following the church's union with others in 1925, it became the headquarters for the United Church of Canada until 1959, during which time the Ryerson Press, the church's publishing arm, grew to occupy the entire building. The structure's distinctive neo-Gothic terra cotta facade has been preserved and is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act through a City of Toronto heritage designation administered by Heritage Preservation Services. In 2016, the building's significance was further recognized with a landmark designation from the Ontario Association of Architects.

CHUM's Acquisition and Broadcast Transformation

The building's conversion to a media centre began when family-owned CHUM Limited, then primarily a radio network, purchased it in 1985 following its acquisition of the remaining shares of Citytv. The company hired the Toronto architecture firm Quadrangle to undertake a comprehensive two-year restoration and renovation. The project transformed the interior into a pioneering broadcast facility designed without conventional, enclosed television studios, instead rigging the entire building for audio and video. This innovative design allowed public spaces, working areas, offices, stairwells, and the parking lot to all be used as optimal shoot locations for live programming. The ground floor at the Queen and John corner features giant glass sliding partitions, opening the building directly to the street and enabling shows like Citytv's Breakfast Television, CityLine, and the former Electric Circus to be filmed live on the ground floor. The renovated building reopened in May 1987 as the new television headquarters for CHUM, moving its operations from 99 Queen Street East, while CHUM Limited's overall corporate headquarters and its Toronto radio stations remained at 1331 Yonge Street.

Exterior Features and Public Interactivity

Several distinctive exterior features were installed during the CHUM era, creating lasting landmarks on Queen Street West. The building's east wall was decorated with an actual older-style news truck seemingly bursting out of the brickwork, with its front tires designed to spin regularly. Originally bearing the 'CityPulse Live-Eye' decal, the truck's branding was later replaced with the 'CP24 Breaking News' decal following the acquisition by CTVglobemedia. On the northwest corner of the building, a public Speakers' Corner videobooth operated for years, allowing anyone to record two minutes of themselves for a dollar. This booth was removed in 2010 as part of renovations to the MuchMusic studios, and the space was enclosed for production use by The Social. The building also served as the primary venue for the annual MuchMusic Video Awards, which was staged as a street party utilizing the parking lot, studios, rooftop, and the adjacent Queen and John Streets, which were shut down from the early afternoon into the evening on the day of the show.

Corporate Transitions: From CTVglobemedia to Bell Media

The corporate landscape shifted when CTVglobemedia acquired CHUM Limited in 2007. Due to CRTC regulations, the company was required to sell the Citytv Toronto station and four other Citytv stations, which were subsequently acquired by Rogers Media. Following the sale, the Citytv signage at 299 Queen Street West was gradually removed throughout 2008 and 2009. The prominent Citytv sign at the front entrance was replaced with an eTalk logo, and the mural behind the former Virgin Mobile store, previously the CHUM-City Store, was redesigned to feature logos of Bell Media television properties. On the building’s east facade, the main Citytv logo was replaced with a CTV logo and a balcony extending from the company boardroom. Citytv Toronto officially vacated the building on September 8, 2009, relocating to 33 Dundas Street East. In 2008, it was announced that CHUM’s Toronto radio stations, CHUM (AM) and CHUM-FM, would move to 250 Richmond Street West, with the relocation completed on August 19, 2009. Bell Canada acquired CTV again in 2011, bringing the building fully under the Bell Media banner.

Current Tenants, Productions, and Studio Uses

As of 2026, 299 Queen Street West functions as the downtown Toronto headquarters for Bell Media, housing a suite of specialty television channels, many of which originated with CHUM. The building is a production centre for several notable Bell Media programs, with studio spaces being repurposed over time. The studios formerly used for MuchMusic are now occupied by the daytime talk show The Social. The studio that once hosted Citytv's CityLine and Breakfast Television, and later briefly for eTalk on CTV, is now the home of The Marilyn Denis Show. The building also serves as the production base for the entertainment news program eTalk. Selected CTV network offices are located in this facility, though Toronto station CFTO-TV has relatively little presence there. Key television channels based at the address include a range of entertainment and news services.

• CTV Drama Channel
• BNN Bloomberg (until Q3 2025)
• CTV Comedy Channel
• E!
• Oxygen True Crime
• CTV Life Channel
• Much (formerly MuchMusic)
• CTV Sci-Fi Channel

The primary studios for the CTV television network and its national operations are located at 9 Channel Nine Court at Highway 401 and McCowan Road in Scarborough. That facility also hosts many of Bell Media's other co-owned channels such as CP24, CTV News Channel, TSN, and USA Network. The master controls for the CTV stations in Eastern Canada are also located at 9 Channel Nine Court. In contrast, the Toronto station CFTO-TV has relatively little presence at the Queen Street facility.

Recent Operational Changes and Relocation Plans

BNN moved into the building on December 6, 2010, using the space previously utilized by Citytv's CityNews department, with its newsroom adjacent to CP24's. On July 30, 2013, Bell Media announced that radio stations CFRB and CKFM-FM would move to the adjacent 250 Richmond Street West from 2 St. Clair Avenue West, ending CFRB's 49-year tenure there, with the move taking place on May 10, 2014. The most substantial recent changes are driven by the construction of the Ontario Line subway. Internal memos from 2022 noted that heavy excavation, noise, and transit construction directly beneath and around Queen Street prompted the relocation of sensitive street-level broadcast studios. Bell Media publicly announced on June 20, 2024, that BNN and CP24 would relocate to 9 Channel Nine Court in Agincourt. This decision has significant implications for the building's daily operations and its streetscape presence.

Role in Major Broadcast Events and Collaborations

Throughout its history, 299 Queen Street West has served as a central broadcast headquarters for major national and international events, leveraging its multi-platform capabilities. The building served as the national broadcast headquarters for the 2007 Live Earth concert, with several CTVglobemedia-owned media outlets and personalities collaborating to broadcast the live event nationally for 28 consecutive hours. In September 2007, it acted as the headquarters for CTV's multi-platform coverage of the 32nd Toronto International Film Festival, acting as the launching pad for red carpet coverage, galas, film parties, premieres, and festival breaking news. For this coverage, corporate divisions such as eTalk, Star!, MuchMusic, MTV Canada, Bravo!, FashionTelevisionChannel, and Canada AM collaborated extensively. The building's design facilitated these large-scale collaborations, with its open spaces and interconnected studios allowing different production teams to work simultaneously on shared event coverage, a capability that was integral to its original innovative design by Quadrangle.

The Building's Context within West Queen West

299 Queen Street West is situated within the West Queen West neighbourhood, an area seen as Toronto's cultural centre for decades, stretching from Bathurst Street to Gladstone Avenue. The neighbourhood's arts scene took root in the early 1980s as artists began to leave Queen and Spadina in search of cheaper rents, venturing westward past Bathurst. The area experienced a significant boost in the mid-2000s with the revitalization of The Gladstone Hotel and The Drake Hotel, which host exhibitions, art installations, and music performances. By 2005, when the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art moved in, the area had become the nexus of Toronto's cultural scene. The presence of 299 Queen Street West, particularly as the home of MuchMusic, contributed to the area's creative energy and its draw for youth culture. Business improvement area directors note that pedestrian traffic numbers have increased since the pandemic and that for every business closing, a new one opens, maintaining a consistent vacancy rate. The construction of two new Ontario Line stations at Queen and Spadina and at Osgoode is expected to improve access for people who currently do not have easy access to the downtown core.

Network of Related Bell Media Facilities in Toronto

Bell Media operates several other key facilities in the Toronto area that are connected to or support the operations at 299 Queen Street West, creating a distributed network. Directly adjacent at 250 Richmond Street West are the studios for Bell Media's Toronto-based radio stations, including CFRB, CHUM-FM, and CKFM-FM, as well as downtown Toronto studios for CHUM (AM). This building is adjacent and connected to 299 Queen Street West by a bridge to 260 Richmond Street West. The former Virgin Mobile storefront at the complex, which was originally the expanded ChumCity Store and later the first location for Moses Znaimer's MZTV Museum of Television, was repurposed in mid-2015 as a new street-front facility for Much Digital Studios as part of a multi-channel new media network. The primary broadcast and technical hub for Bell Media is located at 9 Channel Nine Court in the Agincourt area of Scarborough. This facility houses a wide array of critical operations and master controls.

• CTV's flagship station CFTO-DT and network national operations
• CP24, CTV News Channel, TSN, and USA Network
• CTV Wild Channel and CTV Nature Channel
• Master control for CTV and CTV 2 stations in Alberta, Southern Ontario, and Eastern and Atlantic Canada
• Technical operations for TSN Radio 1050 and television syndication studios for CHUM (AM) radio programs

This distribution of functions defines Bell Media's operational footprint in Toronto. The downtown heritage building at 299 Queen Street West serves as the official headquarters of Bell Media and houses various television properties. Meanwhile, the modern technical hub at 9 Channel Nine Court in Scarborough hosts the primary CTV network studios, several other channels, and extensive master control operations. Several other Bell Media television channels and technical operations are also operated from 9 Channel Nine Court.

Questions about 299 Queen Street West

What is 299 Queen Street West famous for?

299 Queen Street West is famous for being the broadcast headquarters for much of Canada's contemporary television history. It first gained fame as the home of CHUM Limited's television empire, including the nationally beloved music channel MuchMusic, which broadcast from the building's street-level studios. The building is architecturally notable for its 1913 neo-Gothic terra cotta facade, which is a designated heritage property. It is also known for its innovative open-design concept, where the entire interior was wired for broadcast, allowing shows to be filmed live from offices, stairwells, and public spaces, a design that was considered pioneering when implemented in 1987.

Is the CP24 truck still in the wall at 299 Queen Street West?

Yes, the distinctive news truck embedded in the building's east wall remains in place as of 2026. The installation features the front of a truck appearing to burst through the brickwork, with its front tires designed to spin regularly. It originally displayed the 'CityPulse Live-Eye' decal when installed by CHUM. Following CTVglobemedia's acquisition of the building, the decal was replaced with the 'CP24 Breaking News' branding. The truck has become a recognizable feature on Queen Street West and is often cited as a nostalgic touchstone for the area's media history.

What shows are filmed at 299 Queen Street West?

Several major Bell Media television programs are produced at 299 Queen Street West. The daytime talk show The Social is filmed in the studios that were formerly used for MuchMusic. Another daytime program, The Marilyn Denis Show, is produced in the studio that previously housed Citytv's CityLine and Breakfast Television, and later CTV's eTalk. The entertainment news program eTalk is also produced at this location. While the building houses many specialty channels like CTV Drama and CTV Comedy, it does not produce the flagship CTV national newscasts, which originate from 9 Channel Nine Court in Scarborough.

Is 299 Queen Street West being torn down?

No, 299 Queen Street West is not being torn down. The heritage-designated building remains a Bell Media facility. However, significant changes are underway due to the construction of the Ontario Line subway directly beneath Queen Street. In 2024, Bell Media announced that the street-level news studios for CP24 and BNN Bloomberg would be relocated to 9 Channel Nine Court in Agincourt to avoid disruption from heavy excavation and noise. CP24 moved in November 2024, and BNN is scheduled to move in the third quarter of 2025. The building itself will continue to house other channels and productions like The Social and The Marilyn Denis Show.

Can you visit 299 Queen Street West?

While 299 Queen Street West is a working broadcast facility and not a public museum, its exterior is a prominent feature on a major Toronto street that anyone can view. The ground floor features large glass partitions at the corner of Queen and John, allowing glimpses into the active studio spaces from the sidewalk. The CP24 truck in the wall and the building's heritage architecture are visible from the street. The surrounding West Queen West neighbourhood offers historical walking tours, such as the Queen Street West Historical Tour starting at Campbell House Museum, that often highlight the building's significance, though these tours do not typically include interior access to the private broadcast offices.

What happened to the MuchMusic Video Awards at this location?

The annual MuchMusic Video Awards show was held as a street party that took place in the parking lot, studios, rooftop, as well as Queen and John Streets adjacent to the building. Queen and John Streets were subsequently shut down from the early afternoon into the evening on the day the show was scheduled to take place. This event utilized the building's innovative design, which features giant glass sliding partitions at the corner of Queen and John so the building can be open to the street. The building's entire interior was engineered so that public spaces and even the parking lot could be used as optimal shoot locations. For many years, this made 299 Queen Street West the well-known national broadcast hub for the interactive, youth oriented awards ceremony.

Sources and further reading

• 299 Queen Street West (Wikipedia)
• ExperienceTO: Queen Street West Historical Tour (eventbrite.ca)

Checked by the Your Space Hamilton desk. Last updated 2026-10-27.