Emerging historian, Jeremie Caribou, leading the Indigenous Dialogues tour, July 3, 2022. Image: Ashley Duffus |
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Tours season offers brand-new experiences on our city's heritage |
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Heritage Toronto releases its 2023 schedule |
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May 31, 2023 (Toronto, Ont.) – Heritage Toronto is pleased to announce our 2023 Tours season presented by TD Bank and the TD Ready Commitment. This year, we have rebuilt the program to reflect a more inclusive heritage of Toronto. Over 50% of our walks feature stories from equity-deserving and immigrant communities, and almost 60% were developed and will be led by emerging historians.
Running from June until October, this engaging program features a total of 74 tours on subjects ranging from our Indigenous roots to our Black history, from our modern architecture to Chinatown, from Toronto's urban development to its entertainment history.
In addition to the focus on diverse stories and new voices, our revitalized program now offers three types of tours: paid walks, bus tours, and free tour experiences at community and special events. Of these tours, the free event-based experiences will offer unique meet-ups for residents, newcomers and visitors.
"The accessibility of our programs for all Torontonians remains a key principle of our work", says Allison Bain, Executive Director of Heritage Toronto. "Adding free event-based experiences to our Tours program, and inviting the community to gather at our tent, allows us to not only connect people to each other, but also to the history of the places where they live, shop and work."
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2023 Tour highlights include: |
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Modern Scenes on St. Clair
DATES: June 22, July 15 and September 17
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Take the modern view of St. Clair Avenue on this interactive photo walk developed and led by a professional photographer. Anchoring some of Toronto's most exclusive residential areas, this thoroughfare is also home to impressive Modern architecture, from residential towers to parking garages to bus terminals. |
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Imperial Oil building, c. 1957. Image: Glenbow Museum |
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The executive headquarters of Imperial Oil Limited was among the first major office buildings on St. Clair Avenue at a time when Toronto’s business centre was expanding north. The Modernist-style, 19-storey tower is clad in pink granite and Indiana limestone. One of the largest welded steel-framed structures in the world at the time, the building was noted for its many technological innovations, including an advanced heating and cooling system.
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Toronto's First Chinatown
DATE: July 1
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Meet us at our tent to trace the development of Toronto's Chinese community from its humble roots in The Ward, with its laundries, restaurants and associations, long-since razed to the ground to make way for modern progress. This tour follows a special plaque unveiling on the Chinese Exclusion Act. |
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Kew Dock Yip (1906–2001) in front of his Elizabeth Street law office, 1960. Courtesy of the Yip family |
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The Chinese Exclusion Act (1923) banned nearly all Chinese immigration to Canada. In 1947, Kew Dock Yip was among the lawyers who successfully lobbied the Canadian government to repeal the act. Born in British Columbia, Yip served Toronto’s Chinese community for 40 years through his law office on Elizabeth Street located in The Ward.
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Being Black on King
DATES: July 22, August 24 and September 9
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Discover the Black history that spans King Street East: from the first Underground Railroad site excavated in Canada, to one of Toronto's first soul food restaurants whose name, design, and atmosphere surfaced the history of slavery in the US and Canada, while also celebrating the community leaders who risked everything to ensure freedom. |
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Toronto Argonauts player and restauranteur Dave Mann, with dishes from the Underground Railroad, 1970. Image: Bert Bell/Maclean's |
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Opening on February 12, 1969, the Underground Railroad Restaurant became one of the city’s most popular eateries and a cultural landmark for Toronto’s Black community. The original owners were Toronto Argonauts teammates John Henry Jackson and Dave Mann, jazz musician Archie Alleyne, and restaurateur Howard Matthews. All four contributed family recipes to the menu, which celebrated soul food and its centuries-old history, originating in Africa, the Caribbean and the US.
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Indigenous Art & Nature
DATES: July 23 and September 17
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Learn how nature has inspired Indigenous culture. Led by an Indigenous historian, on this walk we'll identify native plants and hear about their importance to Indigenous traditions. We'll discover the Indigenous wisdom and spirituality inherent in activities like braiding of sweet grass, and explore the intersection of nature, traditional practices and contemporary art. |
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Portrait of Doctor Oronhyatekha. Courtesy of the Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County |
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A recent mural by Joseph Sagaj at Miziwe Biik near Jarvis and Gerrard honours the life of Oronhyatehka. Also known as Peter Martin or Dr. O, he grew up on Six Nations reserve and trained as a shoemaker at a residential school. After completing a degree at Oxford University, Oronhyatehka went on to earn his Medical Doctorate at the Toronto School of Medicine. He later went on to become Supreme Chief Ranger of the Independent Order of Foresters, one of the largest fraternal organizations in the world.
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2023 Tours Presenting Sponsor |
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Emerging Historians Champions |
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Heritage Toronto thanks the generous partners who have made the 2023 Tours Program possible: TD Bank and the TD Ready Commitment, Downtown Yonge BIA, Ontario Association of Architects, St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association, St. Lawrence Market BIA, GreekTown on The Danforth BIA, Yonge + St. Clair BIA, Concert Properties, Hellenic Heritage Foundation, The Archaeology Centre at the University of Toronto, Alex Pike, Kate Marshall, and Andrew and Sharon Himel and the Himel Family.
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About us
Heritage Toronto is a charity and agency of the City of Toronto that builds a better city by bringing people together to explore Toronto’s shared past and peoples’ lived experiences. Our programs include tours, plaques, the Heritage Toronto Awards, and digital exhibits.
CONTACT
Lucy Di Pietro, Manager, Marketing & Communications
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GET SOCIAL WITH HERITAGE TORONTO |
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