Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Temple Rededication

The newly renovated Toronto Ontario Temple will be rededicated by President Jeffrey R. Holland, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on Sunday, March 23, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The rededication will be broadcast to all units in the Toronto Ontario Temple district. Prior to the rededication, a media day will be held on Monday, February 10, 2025. Invited guests will tour the temple the following two days. The temple will then be open to the public for tours from Thursday, February 13, through Saturday, March 8, 2025 (excluding Sundays).¹

Temple Locale

Standing in a beautiful residential neighborhood in Brampton, a Toronto suburb about 20 miles west of downtown, the Toronto Ontario Temple is a sublime structure with a 105-foot spire rising elegantly from its rooftop. The temple is oriented east, facing the intersection of Bramalea Road and Bovaird Drive. The Brampton Ontario Stake Center shares the exquisitely landscaped temple grounds, which are open for public enjoyment.

Temple Facts

The Toronto Ontario Temple was the second temple built in Canada, following the Cardston Alberta Temple (1923), and the first built in Ontario.

The floor plan and design of the Toronto Ontario Temple was based on plans created for the Denver Colorado Temple.

Inscriptions on the exterior of the Toronto Ontario Temple are in both English and French—the official languages of Canada.

The site location for the Toronto Ontario Temple was announced on June 22, 1986, by President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency, during the organization of a new stake in Ontario—the 1,600th stake of the Church. President Monson was president of the Canada Mission when the first stake in Ontario was created on August 14, 1960.

Ground was broken for the Toronto Ontario Temple on October 17, 1987, by President Thomas S. Monson, who was assisted by Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve and Elder John K. Carmack of the First Quorum of the Seventy.

Construction of the Toronto Ontario Temple was completed on schedule despite a six-week labor strike that idled construction workers just nine weeks before the open house. In consideration of the open house schedule, union leaders agreed to allow a few Church members to do finishing work in the temple as unpaid volunteers.

During the two-week open house of the Toronto Ontario Temple, 2,600 Church members volunteered in whatever capacity was needed. From ushering to cleaning, they donated more than 64,000 hours.

A total of 61,285 visitors toured the Toronto Ontario Temple during its public open house. It was estimated that 30 to 40 percent were members of other faiths. Of those, 6,044 requested to receive more information about the Church.

The Toronto Ontario Temple was dedicated August 25–27, 1990, in 11 sessions. The services were translated in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean due to the cultural diversity of the new temple district, which covered eastern Canada and the northeastern United States.

Ten years after the dedication of the Toronto Ontario Temple, President Monson returned on August 19, 2000, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the temple and the 40th anniversary of the Toronto Canada Stake by dedicating a historical monument, commemorating the contributions of early missionaries and members who served and lived in Upper Canada including John Taylor, third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Toronto Ontario Temple closed for renovation in October 2023 and was completed in December 2024. Interior reconfigurations and improvements were made to meet increased patron demand and to increase accessibility. A major upgrade of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems was also completed.

Temple Renovation

Renovation Details

The renovation of the Toronto Ontario Temple began in October 2023 and lasted until December 2024. The scope included interior reconfigurations and improvements to meet increased patron demand and improve accessibility. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems also received major upgrades. Here are some of the most significant modifications:

• MAIN ENTRY: Vestibule glass replacement, new floor and ceiling finishes, enhanced lighting, new welcome area and recommend desk.
• WAITING ROOM: Increased seating capacity and furnishings, addition of family washroom.
• BAPTISTRY: New entry with art glass, enlarged confirmation rooms, increased dressing room capacity, expanded clothing issue area, upgraded dome lighting, refreshed oxen.
• INSTRUCTION ROOMS: New seating for improved comfort and accessibility, new carpet, new drapery.

• CELESTIAL ROOM: Improved seating capacity with new furnishings, improved wheelchair access.
• EAST GRAND STAIRCASE: New crown molding and finish refresh.
• COMMERCIAL KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM DECOMMISSIONED: The space was repurposed for the baptistry, worker break room and other functions.
• MECHANICAL SYSTEM RENOVATION: Chiller replacement and new fluid cooler to increase cooling capacity, new air handling units to improve airflow and humidity control, enhanced control system to increase comfort and reduce energy consumption.

Fabricators and Installers

• DECORATIVE LIGHTING: Fabricated by Preciosa. Installed by Kraner Electrical.
• MILLWORK: Fabricated by Cabinet Craft & Design. Installed by Blackcard Construction.
• ART GLASS: Fabricated by Willet Hauser and Rex Glass & Mirror. Installed by Blackcard Construction.
• STONE: Provided by Daltile. Installed by Blackcard Construction.
• TILE: Provided by Daltile. Installed by Blackcard Construction.
• AREA RUGS: Rugs International
• CARPET: Fabricated by Bentley International. Installed by Commercial Flooring.
• HARDWARE: Hager Companies
• FURNITURE: Theodore Alexander (Vietnam), Hickory Chair (North Carolina), Keilhauer, Ferrell Mittman (Vietnam), MTC Studio Designs (Utah), Irwin Seating Company (Michigan).
• OPERA SEATING: Provided by Irwin Seating Company and Fetzer Architectural Woodworking. Installed by Blackcard Construction.

Church History in Toronto

Early Church History

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded by Joseph Smith in New York state in the United States in 1830. From its beginning, missionaries came to Ontario to spread the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. The word spread quickly, and new members flocked to join the Church. Between the 1830s and 1840s, over 2,000 members joined the Church in Ontario and moved to Church headquarters in the United States.

Joseph Smith visited members in Ontario in 1833 and 1837. Likewise, Brigham Young, the second President of the Church, taught in the Kingston area, and John Taylor, the third President, joined the Church in Toronto.

In the early days of the Church, about half of the village of Churchville, Ontario (now a historic district in Brampton), left to gather with the Saints in the Midwest of the United States. A commemorative marker of Joseph Smith’s visit to this area has been placed in the Churchville Cemetery.

Church Growth

After the early exodus of members to the United States, missionaries returned to Ontario in the early 1900s. Branches were formed in cities throughout the province, with the first chapel in Toronto being dedicated in 1939. In 1960 a group of Church units joined to form the first stake (similar to a diocese) of the Church in Ontario.

In 1990 the first temple in Eastern Canada was built in Brampton, and members came to worship from Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, along with several states along the U.S. border.

Today there are eight stakes and one district in this part of Ontario. Immigrants from other countries have joined, and there are Church units where services are held in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Tagalog as well as English. The province of Ontario is currently home to approximately 55,000 members of the Church. Many of its newest members are recent immigrants from Ghana, Nigeria and Central and South America.

Community Service

Members are taught that “when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17, Book of Mormon), and they serve their communities in countless ways. FamilySearch centres and the FamilySearch.org website offer free help to all those searching for their ancestors. Missionaries reach out wherever they are serving. Church members of all ages give humanitarian service. For example, Latter-day Saints have volunteered at the Brampton’s Charity Community Garden since its inception. They have also provided hundreds of backpacks filled with basic necessities for women leaving custody at the local provincial jail.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a major humanitarian donor to many local registered charities. In 2024 the Church donated more than $2 million in humanitarian support to several prominent food banks in the Greater Toronto Area. Additionally, the Church actively engages with interfaith groups in communities where it has congregations.