for designs for a new parliament building for the province of Ontario, and, when none of the entries was found to be less than , the legislature approved during 1885 a budget of for the chosen scheme by Richard A. Waite. Construction then commenced in 1886, and the Ontario Legislative Building was (though still incomplete) officially opened on 4 April 1893 by the then Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, George Airey Kirkpatrick. The final cost was tallied at approximately , and the design was criticised by some as "too American". This left the old parliament building on Front Street vacant, and it stood as such for nearly a decade before it was demolished from 1900 to 1903. The site was then sold to the Grand Trunk Railway, which used the former parliamentary land for freight sheds and marshalling yards. The location is now occupied by the Canadian Broadcasting Centre, a public square, and a number of high-rise buildings. With an increasing population in the province, it became necessary in 1909 to add a wing to the north side of the Ontario Legislative Building, enclosing the courtyard. As construction was underway, on 1 September men repairing galvanised roofing on the west wing accidentally sparked a fire that eventually destroyed the interior of that part of the edifice, including the legislative library. It then took until 1912 for repairs and reconstructions to be made, and the new wing to be completed. Further expansions of the parliamentary infrastructure were from then on built across the east side of Queen's Park Crescent, with the Whitney Block built in 1925, the Macdonald and Hepburn Blocks completed in 1968, the Mowat and Hearst Blocks in 1969. Security Security within the Legislative grounds is provided by the Legislative Security Service, which took over from the Ontario Provincial Police. Some members have been armed with handguns since 2016. The 75-member unit reports to the Sergeant-at-Arms and patrols both Queen's Park and Whitney Block. Most officers of the unit are ranked as Special Constables or Agents. Portraits of the Premier The Legislature is also home to portraits of several past premiers, including: Bill Davis - by Istvan Nyikos Frank Miller - by Anthony Miles David Peterson - by Linda Kooluris Dobbs Bob Rae - Phil Richards Mike Harris - by Istvan Nyikos Ernie Eves - by Bernard Poulin Dalton McGuinty - by Istvan Nyikos Kathleen Wynne - by Linda Kooluris