St. James Town tour, September 26, 2021. Image: Herman Custodio |
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A fresh look at our heritage and its relevance today |
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We're celebrating the return of a full program of in-person tours this weekend. This season, we are also increasing our commitment to profile more stories that reflect the diversity of Toronto in our tours by amplifying fresh voices through our Emerging Historians program. With over 75% of the offers in the 2022 Tours program developed and led by emerging historians, we are encouraging new perspectives and conversations on the complicated legacy, but also important relevance of heritage, to the future of our modern city.
Running from June until October, the 2022 Tours season features a total of 58 tours on subjects ranging from our Indigenous roots to our Black history, from the preservation of our modern architecture to the importance of our ravines.
Upcoming tours are featured below. Our first tour is already sold out. As spots are limited and registration is required, we suggest you sign up soon!
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2022 Tours Presenting Sponsor |
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Emerging Historians Champions |
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St. James Town tour, September 26, 2021. Image: Herman Custodio |
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START: Allan Gardens (northwest corner) |
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What does a rising phoenix, a forest made of metal, and the declaration of the human right to education have in common? Explore the public art and urban design of Cabbagetown and St. James Town and learn how it challenges inequity and fosters dialogue within these diverse Toronto neighbourhoods. |
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September 10 | 3:00 PM
HEADSET TOUR
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Pride tour, George Hislop Park, August 2, 2018. |
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START: Barbara Hall Park (519 Church Street) |
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Join us this Pride Month to discover stories of Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ community like that of George Hislop, a gay activist who was one of the earliest openly gay candidates for political office in Canada.
Charged in the 1981 Bathhouse Raids, later in 2003, he was involved in a class action lawsuit against the federal government to extend Canada Pension Plan benefits to surviving same-sex partners of pensioners who has passed away prior to 1998.
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June 5 | 11:00 AM
HEADSET TOUR
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August 6 | 3:00 PM
LOUDSPEAKER TOUR
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Italian immigrant labourers, Toronto, 1930s |
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START: Mill Street and Old Yonge Street |
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Explore the Hogg’s Hollow area during North York’s 100th anniversary. The neighbourhood’s idyllic charm hides harrowing stories of heroism and heartbreak, from its dramatic role in the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion to the infamous location of the 1960 construction disaster resulting in the deaths of Italian immigrant workers. |
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June 8 | 6:00 PM
HEADSET TOUR
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START: Finch Avenue East and Bayview Avenue |
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Experience the natural heritage of this shady Willowdale ravine, from wetland patches of cattails to areas of meadow and open woodland. We’ll see berries (nannyberry and highbush cranberry) and other native plants like white vervain, jewelweed and thimbleberry. Eagle-eyed participants may see some snapping turtle nests in the area. |
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June 11 | 3:00 PM
LOUDSPEAKER TOUR
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Tour participants, Alexander the Great Square, October 3, 2021 |
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Greektown on the Danforth |
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START: Pape Subway Station (743 Pape Avenue) |
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Learn about Toronto’s Greek community and its settlement on the Danforth during the postwar years. This walk will explore Greektown, from its foundations in faith and family, to milestone community events, and the evolution of businesses and restaurants, including the creation of Flaming Opa Cheese as a tourist spectacle. |
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June 12 | 11:00 AM
HEADSET TOUR
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Tour group, SickKids Hospital, July 4, 2019. Image: Herman Custodio
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Discover Toronto’s history of healthcare, from the ground-breaking development of insulin to the inspiring story of Dr. Alexander Augusta, one of our first Black physicians. Learn how the city battled infectious disease, including the 1847 Typhus outbreak, and about the polio treatment in the 1950s that serves as a precursor to Canada’s epidemic and pandemic response today. |
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June 15 | 6:00 PM
HEADSET TOUR
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Provincial panel, Guild Park tour, July 8, 2018. Image: Hanifa Mamujee |
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START: Guild Inn (201 Guildwood Parkway) |
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Discover what remains of the historic buildings of Old Toronto at Guild Park, nestled atop the Scarborough Bluffs. As we wander among the architectural fragment of demolished buildings, we’ll hear stories of the artists, advocates, and architects who helped to shape the early landscape of the city, and preserved these remnants from that time. |
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June 18 | 3:00 PM
LOUDSPEAKER TOUR
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Heritage Toronto members at the TD Centre, July 9, 2019. |
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Capturing Mid-Century Toronto |
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START: Spadina Subway Station (Walmer Road exit) |
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Explore Toronto’s mid-century modern architecture on this interactive photo walk. Learn how to identify elements of modernist architecture, from coloured panels to geometric forms, and about the architects, such as Uno Prii, who brought this style to the world stage. Bring along a camera to shoot your favourite examples in our urban landscape. |
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June 19 | 3:00 PM
HEADSET TOUR
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This tour will be co-led by professional photographer Vik Pahwa.
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Worker's Cottage style house, 25 Carlton Street, March 18, 1929. |
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START: Sackville Street and Queen Street East |
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Explore some of Toronto’s remaining workers’ cottages in the city’s east end. Hear the stories of the many immigrant groups that first lived in them, newcomers to Toronto from the 1820s to 1920s, and learn how these homes embody their dreams of a better future. |
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June 22 | 6:00 PM
HEADSET TOUR
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This tour developed and led by heritage architect Don Loucks and heritage conservationist Leslie Valpy.
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START: Chinese Railway Workers Memorial (9 Blue Jays Way) |
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Learn how the railways transformed Toronto from a small British settlement to a cosmopolitan city, tracing their role from today’s quick modern commute to their historic contributions to telecommunications and the tourism industry. A means to connect, these same railways carry stories of fraud, abuse and harassment experienced by Indigenous communities, Chinese workers and Black porters. |
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June 25 | 3:00 PM
LOUDSPEAKER TOUR
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This tour was developed with the support of a generous donation by Andrew and Sharon Himel and the Himel Family. |
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Chinatown West tour, June 1, 2019. Image: Kristen McLaughlin |
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START: 346 Spadina Avenue |
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Explore the shops, laneways, and public spaces that have anchored the Chinese community on Spadina Avenue. Now facing intense redevelopment, this walk will trace the countless stories of advocacy reflected in this built landscape, shaped by migration and displacement, and the renewed activism to preserve its cultural heritage. |
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June 26 | 11:00 AM
HEADSET TOUR
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Tour developed and led by historian and architecture professor Erica Allen-Kim. |
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Detail of mural by Adrian Hayles, 423 Yonge Street. Image: Hanifa Mamujee |
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Engage with the public art located along Yonge Street, ranging in artistic styles and materials, from remnants of heritage buildings to modern photography to murals enhanced with AR. Discover how each piece connects with its public surroundings, enriching the downtown
landscape.
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June 29 | 6:00 PM
HEADSET TOUR
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Reggae Lane Mural, August 8, 2019. Image: Ali Mosleh |
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START: Eglinton West Subway Station (1300 Eglinton Avenue West) |
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Meet the residents and store owners of Little Jamaica who are keeping their cultural roots and community alive in challenging times. The neighbourhood’s businesses are at the heart of this cultural hub for Toronto’s Caribbean population. Learn about its history, and the impacts resulting from one of the largest transit construction projects in the country and a global pandemic. |
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June 30 | 6:00 PM
LOUDSPEAKER TOUR
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This tour was developed with the support of a generous donation by Andrew and Sharon Himel and the Himel Family. |
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Exploring the hidden design and style at the TD Centre
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For Doors Open, emerging historian Ori Abara had a unique opportunity to explore the 54th floor of the TD Centre. On her behind-the-scenes visit, she learnt about this Mid-Century Modern masterpiece and its importance to Toronto's heritage, meeting archivists, historians, and experts along the way. We recorded her experience to share with everyone.
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City Park Apartments, 1955. Image: City of Toronto Archives |
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New plaque and digital story coming soon! |
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For Pride Month, we are excited to launch a new plaque and a new digital story on the City Park apartment complex at Church and Alexander Streets. When it opened in 1955, it was the first Mid-Century Modern high-rise project in downtown Toronto and one of the largest private residential developments in Canada. Providing affordable units, City Park was vital to the development of the Church–Wellesley Village.
Both will launch on June 18. Stay tuned to our social media accounts and website!
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Our own Laura Carlson, Manager of Public Programs, and Victoria Atteh, Equity Heritage Initiative Program Coordinator, provide highlights on the 2022 Tours season. (CityNews)
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Our own Chris Bateman, Manager of Plaques, speaks about plans for two new plaques commemorating how Alexander Augusta and Anderson Abbott overcame prejudice and racism and became the first Black doctors in Toronto. (CityNews)
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City councillors voted against rezoning the historic site to allow construction of the proposed entrance. Osgoode Hall's landscaped grounds and cast iron gates have housed provincial courts and the Law Society of Ontario for more than 170 years. (Toronto Star) |
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