Doors Open Toronto
Held in many cities across Canada, Doors Open is an event that
invites people to learn more about their local heritage. During the
May 28-29 2011 weekend in Toronto, the doors will be open for you,
and this year's line-up is packed with historic places, all free of
charge!
Since beginning in 2000, Doors Open Toronto has been opening
doors to many wonderful places and is increasing the number of
participating places each year. The success of the event inspired
the Ontario Heritage Trust to launch Doors Open Ontario, which
motivated other towns to follow this great idea and let people
experience what is usually behind closed doors.
On the tour, there is something for everyone! From churches to
schools, forts, and 
libraries, Toronto is opening doors on
many heritage places. Here are only a few examples of buildings
open to the public this year:
Fort York National Historic Site of
Canada is one of the most famous historic places in Toronto.
Rebuilt in 1813 after the original fort was destroyed during the
war of 1812, it is where Toronto began as a settlement. Founded by
Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada Sir John Graves Simcoe as a
defence site, it is now a national historic site operated by the
City of Toronto which includes many intact buildings dating from
the War of 1812. Offering special tours and demonstrations, Fort
York is definitely a crowd pleaser for all ages! 
Toronto's most photographed building, the Gooderham Building, is also on the Doors
Open list. Sporting a unique "flatiron" shape, this building was
constructed in 1891 as an office for George Gooderham, owner of
Gooderham and Worts distillery. As head
of the distillery, director of the Bank of Toronto and president of
the Manufacturer's Life Insurance Company, Gooderham would become
the wealthiest man in Ontario at the time of his death in 1905.
Decorated in a fashion that would match a rich man's pocket, the
Gooderham Building's open home is an opportunity you can't
miss.
At the John Street Roundhouse (Canadian Pacific)
National Historic Site of Canada, tours_261x172.jpg)
are offered of the
roundhouse as well of the Steam Whistle Brewing factory. This
complex was built from 1929 to 1931 and is the best surviving
example of a roundhouse in Canada. Operating until 1986, this
32-stall roundhouse was used to clean and repair passenger
locomotives until the introduction of diesel fuel reduced the need
for this service. The roundhouse has been taken over by the Toronto
Railway Historical Association where this group actively preserves
this historic building. In 1999, the appropriately named Steam
Whistle Brewing Company was established on site and has opened its
doors to the public for the weekend since 2000.
If you are a fan of the performing arts, visit the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre.
This theatre displays a unique, still operating,
"double-decker" theatre design that is the last of its kind in
Canada. Built in 1913, 
the Elgin theatre was designed to show
silent films, but has changed and adapted over the decades. The
Winter Garden, on the other hand, was closed in 1928 and was left
untouched for almost 50 years, thus protecting its unique garden
scenery and canopy ceiling of leaves. Tours of the building are
offered and give a more in-depth historic account.
If politics and architecture are your interests, the Old City Hall and York County Court House
National Historic Site of Canada will certainly be a stop on
your list! This magnificent building of Richardsonian Romanesque
architecture took ten years to complete with construction starting
in 1889 and ending in 1899. At a cost of $2.5 million, it was the
largest building in Toronto at the time of completion. Serving as
the 3rd city hall in Toronto and as a court house, this
was the centre of town activities until 1965 when a new City Hall
was constructed across the street. The building is now offices for
the provincial Justice Department. Saved from demolition many times
in the last half century, it is now protected as a national
historic site. When you visit, there is an exhibition on the
protection of this important landmark on the first floor.
During Doors Open Toronto, it would be a great idea to visit the
lavish George 
Brown House because it
usually is not open to the public! Built from 1874 to 1876, the
house was home to George Brown, one of the Fathers of Confederation
and founder of the Globe (now the Globe and
Mail). This Second Empire residence has recently been
rehabilitated by the Ontario Heritage Trust and now features a
luxurious library containing more than 2,000 books that once
belonged to Mr. Brown. The house currently is used as office space
and a conference center. Visit this important part of our Canadian
heritage through a self-guided tour and ask your questions to
on-site staff.
Stop by these historic places and many others that have opened
their doors to the public on the May 28 weekend to learn more about
the impact these places had on Toronto's heritage and their role in
Canadian history.
Visit the official Doors Open Toronto web site for more
information and see the full list of participating buildings: http://www.toronto.ca/doorsopen/index.htm
