It should be a museum. Confederation doesn't happen without him.

Nineteen pieces of territory (some were quite small) were annexed by Toronto between 1903 and 1914.

The poles were then cut into segments for transport by rail. Because the building wasn’t ready upon their arrival in Toronto, they were soaked in petroleum and covered in floor wax before being wrapped in burlap and padding to protect them from the elements.

At this time, the great totem poles that the museum stairways circle around were installed. These came from BC, where they had been floated down the Portland Canal before being towed to Prince Rupert.

All of the excavation work was done by pick and shovel, and men worked shortened shifts to maximize the number of workers. This is the part of the building that sits right at the corner of Bloor and Queen’s Park. It cost $1.8 million and opened on October 12, 1933.

In 1929, the decision was made to expand the museum. However, by the time construction began, the Great Depression was in full swing and the expansion become a make-work project to alleviate unemployment.

Eventually the Board of Trustees gave in and hired her because she was doing the job anyways. She would lead tours for three days a week, including a special tour for children on Saturdays. Margaret McLean would be the first in a long line of volunteer tour guides at the ROM.

In late 1918, a local woman named Margaret MacLean asked about becoming a museum guide. The various department heads didn’t like the idea of some impertinent woman intruding on their fiefdoms, so they declined. However, she wound up leading a host of informal tours.

The ROM first opened in 1914 as a joint project of the province and U of T. The original museum only included the western half of the building that we know today. You can see some of its earliest artifacts below.