In an opinion article in August, 1890 the Canadian Architect and Builder, VOL. 111. -No. VIIl, opinionated that no monument is required for the man who donated High Park to the city.
Although we believe that the gift of High Park to the city of Toronto be acknowledged by the erection of a monument to the late Mr Howard , we cannot regret the defeat of the $10.000.00 bylaw for that purpose.
If the money had been voted it would have been worse than wasted, except that it would have acknowledged the indebtedness of the citizens of Toronto to the man who so generously providcd the city with so magnificent a park.
A monument would to a certainty have been erected which, while it might meet with the approval of the general public, would have been held in contempt by the better informed. A bad statue is worse than no statue, and we cannot have good work, let us at least not have work of which we may be ashamed in the near future.
One Ryerson monument is sufficient in Toronto, and until we can obtain statues of real merit let us do without them.
The munificence of the late Mr. Howard can be’much better acknowledged and kept before the citizens of Toronto by the erection of a building which can he put to a useful purpose.
Let the building be of fine design and thoroughly and substantially built, and it will be a worthy monument the man man who was the 1st architect which the city of Toronto possessed. A bronze or marble bust of Mr Howard could be placed in a prominent position in the building, with a tablet giving particulars of his to the city.
and in September of that same year they wrote,
It is to be hoped that the project of a monument to the late Mr. Howard, the donor of High Park, Toronto, will not be lost sight of. Although the by-law for a $10,000 monument was defeated, we cannot but feel sure that if a definite scheme were brought forward looking to the erection of a building a suitable for park purposes and durable in construction, dedicated to the late architect’s memory, the people would gratefully vote the necessary money for its erection
