Legendary Nightlife: Remembering Guvernment Nightclub in Toronto

I was conversing with a friend of mine, and we were reminiscing about the good ole days of going out in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Toronto, and how today's generation has no idea of how a great nightlife adds flavor to life.

Our talk took us down memory lane as we discussed the different venues that impacted our lives, from Sensation'z Nightclub in downtown Buffalo to the Pleasure Dome in Niagara Falls. So far down, we ended up remembering the days when a nightclub complex on Lake Ontario in Toronto, Ontario, had such an impact on nightlife that people traveled from far and wide to party on its wood floors.

Some of the most incredible memories I have of clubbing happened at the corner of Queens Quay East and Richardson Street on any given Friday or Saturday night in Toronto. Those nights consisted of me, along with nearly 10,000 other people, streaming in and out of the 60,000-square foot Guvernment Entertainment Complex.

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The building, which has a long history of Toronto nightlife behind it, consists of two main rooms: RPM, which changed to the Guvernment in 1996, and the Warehouse, which was renamed Kool Haus in 2001. In addition to the main two rooms, there were a series of other smaller rooms that were also inside the space, including D'Luxe Lounge, The Orange Room, Chroma, SkyBar, and Acid Lounge.

For more than 18 years, people party the night away inside the Guvernment Entertainment Complex, with parties routinely going until 5 am or later. I remember nights when the line to get inside Guv wrapped around the corner back to Jarvis Street.

All kinds of DJs from around the world have played at Guvernment, including Armin Van Buuren, David Guetta, Markus Schulz, Deadmau5, Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox, and even yours truly who held down Friday nights inside Chroma for two nearly years.

In 2014, the club announced it was closing due to the building being sold to make room for waterfront condos. The final event occurred on January 25, 2015, and demolition began at the end of February.

As I sit here, it's hard to believe it's been nine years since the club was dismantled. I have such great memories of this place.

While Guvernment may be gone, its former owner, Charles Khabouth, didn't just stand around. His company, INK Entertainment, ensured that Southern Ontario had plenty of other great places to party.