A Guide to Canadian Architectural Styles

James A. Love is an associate professor of environmental design at the
University of Calgary.

This guide, by three architectural historians in the employ of the
Canadian Parks Service, is reminiscent of field guides to flowers and
birds. The authors provide concise and lucid expositions of the
development of more than 20 architectural styles. Over 140 photographs
are used to illustrate specific manifestations of the various styles.
The reader can see how designers have interpreted styles for buildings
ranging from houses to railroad stations and office towers. The material
is organized by century, and further subdivided by style. Every province
and territory is represented in the examples, so most Canadians could
track some of the entries down without venturing too far afield. The
catalogue is extensive, but not entirely complete. For instance, the
Craftsman style is not included, despite the thousands of houses of this
type that were built between 1890 and 1930. Perhaps, under the influence
of books such as this, style identification will join “birding” as a
national pastime.