September 2025

HERITAGE TORONTO AWARDS

Celebrating 50 years of heritage work in shaping Canada's largest city

We're pleased to announce the 60 nominees for the 50th Annual Heritage Toronto Awards. This year’s nominees showcase the many ways heritage shapes our city—through the restoration and reuse of historic buildings that support tourism and sustainability, to the creation of books, films, exhibits, and art projects that celebrate our cultural diversity, unite communities, and foster civic pride.

THE NOMINEES

PUBLIC HISTORY

The Public History Award recognizes multimedia and collaborative projects designed to engage, challenge, and educate the public.

This year's 29 nominees comprise everything from films and podcasts to art exhibitions and community projects exploring city building, Black history, 1980s queer dance parties, and much more.

BOOK

The Book Award celebrates non-fiction written works that engage with all aspects of Toronto's heritage.

Among the 22 nominees this year, subjects explored include the experiences of the postwar Japanese Canadian community, the tumultuous history of bicycles in Toronto, and immigrant stories told through recipes.

We’re pleased to offer a 20% discount on all nominated books purchased online at the Spacing Store. Buy now and use the code HTA2025 to add these great books to your Fall reading list.

BUILT HERITAGE

This category honours excellence in built heritage projects through three awards: Adaptive Reuse, Planning & Architecture, and Crafts & Trades.

This year's nine nominees range from the revitalization of one of the city's last 19th-century commercial structures to the adaptive reuse of a former insulin research facility.

The Heritage Toronto Awards will be held on October 20 at The Carlu. This event is our major fundraiser of the year, raising monies in support of public programming.

Tickets are on sale! Learn more.

Presenting Sponsor

Supported by

Two logos appear for the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association and Training Centre

Media Partner

TOURS

Resistance & Reconciliation

LAST CHANCE FOR 2025

$10.05 FEE

Start: 115 Scadding Avenue (David Crombie Park Basketball Court)

Saturday, September 6 | 11:00 AM

This month as we mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, join us to engage in the ongoing reconciliation process. On this walk, we'll explore public art installations that share stories of Indigenous life before colonization, the impacts of the Indian Act and residential schools, and the ongoing legacy of activism. Along the way, we'll discover how Indigenous communities are creating space, visibility, and vibrancy in today’s city.

A group of people stand on the sidewalk with a street sign Scott St. with the CN Tower in the background behind them

Along the Shore

NEW FOR 2025

$10.05 FEE

Start: 27 Front Street East

Saturday, September 6 | 3:00 PM

Step back in time with us and discover Toronto’s buried shoreline! Built over and forgotten during industrialization, we'll delve deep to surface the 1841 shoreline, located around where Front Street runs today. Visit landmarks like the Gooderham Building, St. Lawrence Market, and the Distillery District, while exploring the stories of the people who built and transformed Torontonians’ connection to Lake Ontario.

A group of people stand on the sidewalk while looking at a orange red building

Canary District: Movement and Migration

NEW FOR 2025

$10.05 FEE

Start: 409 Front Street East

Sunday, September 7 | 3:00 PM

Join us on the last offering of our most popular tour of 2025! Walk the Canary District with us and discover this growing urban village and how rivers, railways, and roads transformed the neighbourhood. Learn how factories, freight yards, and immigrant communities once defined this area—and how murals, sculpture gardens, and public parks shape it today.

A group of people look up to the top left corner of the image

Yonge & St. Clair: From the Ground Up

NEW FOR 2025

$10.05 FEE

Start: 20 Avoca Avenue

Saturday, September 13 | 11:00 AM

Walk with us as we explore the Deer Park community in the heart of Yonge & St. Clair. Together, we’ll trace the neighbourhood’s story from Indigenous hunting grounds and hidden creeks, to Victorian estates, Catholic cemeteries, and the rise of streetcars. Along the way, we’ll uncover how ravines, reservoirs, public art, and condo towers all tell the tale of a city built in layers—from the ground up.

A black and white photograph of a man and woman around a street food booth. The woman holds an umbrella.

Greek Life in the West End

$10.05 FEE

Start: 1140 Bloor Street West

Saturday, September 13 | 3:00 PM

Step back into the 1950s and 1960s, when Bloor Street West was the heart of Greek life in this city. Together, we’ll explore the shops, cafes, and workplaces where immigrants built new lives while keeping their language, culture, and community alive. Discover how this neighbourhood became a hub of resilience, connection, and belonging, and how it shaped Toronto’s growing Greek identity.

Torn paper style collage of various graphical elements including a street sign reading Weston Road - the Olympics five-ringed emblem - and multiple photos of athletes.

Golden Strides

COMMUNITY EVENT

FREE

Start: 34 John Street (Weston Farmers' Market)

Saturday, September 20 | 8:30 PM

Tours at 9:30 AM and 12:00 PM

Lace up and stop by our tent at the Weston Farmers' Market for FREE running and walking tours that explore the legacies of Black Canadian athletes. Run or walk the same streets, schools, courts, and community hubs that supported these trailblazers on their journeys from local talents to national and international status.

A group of people gather around a paved courtyard area with metallic structures around while listening to a speaker in the middle of the group

Uptown Uncovered

NEW FOR 2025

$10.05 FEE

Start: 2388 Yonge Street (Montgomery Square)

Saturday, September 20 | 3:00 PM

Uncover North Toronto’s transformation with us—from open fields and farm lots to schools, transit, and thriving neighbourhood streets. We’ll share stories of rebellion and resilience, immigrant and Indigenous contributions, and the grassroots efforts that built schools, parks, and infrastructure for a growing community.

A group of people with their bikes gather around a park area beside the waterfront and listen to the speaker in the background

Pedalling the Parks

$10.05 FEE

Start: 659 Queens Quay West (Little Norway Park)

Sunday, September 21 | 11:00 AM

Bring your bike (and helmet!) and ride with us along the Martin Goodman Trail to discover how Lake Ontario has shaped our city through trade, conflict, industry, and more. Hear the story of swimmer Marilyn Bell, explore landmarks like Ontario Place and Coronation Park, and see how the waterfront has been reclaimed for leisure, remembrance, and nature.

A group of people appear along a sidewalk with a central pair embracing each other. In the background storefronts appear with a stone gate pillar visible on the far left.

Baby Point Uncovered

NEW FOR 2025

$10.05 FEE

Start: 10 Catherine Avenue (Etienne Brule Park)

Sunday, September 21 | 3:00 PM

Walk the Humber River section of the ancient Carrying Place Trail and uncover 9,000 years of history at Baby Point! Visit the former site of Teiaiagon, a 17th-century Seneca village, and explore how Euro-Canadian settlement reshaped the land. We’ll also discover how the Baby Estate and Robert Home Smith’s garden-style suburb transformed this land into the neighbourhood we see today.

A group of people line up along the sidewalk of a street while listening to a speaker in front of them

Yonge & St. Clair: Diners, Drinks, and Delis

NEW FOR 2025

$10.05 FEE

Start: 1 St. Clair Avenue

Thursday, September 25 | 6:30 PM

From taverns to diners to family delis, food has always been at the heart of Yonge & St. Clair. Join us on this walk as we explore how the neighbourhood’s dining spots and how food traditions have fed both stomachs and community spirit for generations.

A group of people walk on the sidewalk at a road intersection with a sign that shows Alvin Av. In the background there is a large mural of a deer

Yonge & St. Clair: Reflections of Beauty

NEW FOR 2025

$10.05 FEE

Start: 20 Avoca Avenue

Saturday, September 27 | 11:00 AM

How can wellness, leisure, and beauty shape a neighbourhood? Discover the answer as we hike a ravine to learn about Indigenous history, climb to the Rosehill Reservoir and examine its role in public health, and explore how ideas of mourning, memory, and class shaped St. Michael’s Cemetery. Walk with us as we reflect on how layers of history, art, and everyday care continue to shape life in this midtown hub.

A group of people gather in front of a large beige architectural structure with Canadian flags above

She Shoots, She Scores

NEW FOR 2025

$10.05 FEE

Start: 789 Lake Shore Boulevard West (Toronto Inukshuk Park)

Saturday, September 27 | 3:00 PM

Sunday, October 5 | 11:00 AM

Celebrate the history of women’s sports in Toronto at Exhibition Place! From Horse Palace to BMO Field, we’ll explore how sports shaped women’s lives, and how societal attitudes, limited media coverage, and systemic bias led to their stories being sidelined. Hear how immigration, Black and Indigenous heritage, and queerness make this history far more complex (and inspiring!) than what’s often remembered.

A group of people gather in front of a salmon pink building and listen to a speaker who is on the left of the image

Big Stories in Little India

COMMUNITY EVENT

FREE

Start: 150 Greenwood Avenue (Leslieville Farmers' Market)

Sunday, September 28 | 9:00 AM

Tours at 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM

Meet us at our tent at the Leslieville Farmers’ Market for FREE tours and community stories. From historic theatres and vibrant murals to family-run shops, restaurants, and places of worship, we'll explore this vibrant stretch of Gerrard Street East where South Asian immigrants transformed Toronto’s east end.

A crowd of people in an outdoor location celebrating.

Little Italy on College Street

NEW FOR 2025

$10.05 FEE

Start: 766 College Street

Thursday, October 9 | 6:30 PM

Step into the vibrant Little Italy along College Street and visit landmark businesses, cultural institutions, and gathering places that have defined the Italian-Canadian experience from the early 20th century to today. Discover how the area has contributed to Toronto's social and cultural fabric, and experience a taste of la bella vita with us.

This year's tours are made possible by the generous support of our event sponsors and partners:

A group of people in tall top hots stand in the middle while a group of people in soldier outfits surround them in the background.

PLAQUES

Unveiling the Snider Family Plaque

Location: 2672 Yonge Street

Saturday, September 27 | 11:00 AM

You're invited to the unveiling of a historical plaque with the North Toronto Historical Society in the Snider Parkette. The plaque honours the Snider family, early and significant property owners, and the early farming community on Yonge Street. All are welcome!

Photo of eight people smiling and facing the camera. Behind them several plaques are mounted on the wall.

JOIN US

We're Hiring!

Join our team as the new Operations Coordinator! You'll support the business side of our charity, from keeping our office and finances running smoothly to supporting our volunteers and team. The deadline to apply for this full-time, permanent position is September 8 at noon.

Explore. Discover. Support.

Our programs open doors to Toronto’s history. Your donation keeps them accessible and ensures more voices are heard. Support local heritage and make your gift today.

DONATE TODAY

HERITAGE HAPPENINGS

Toronto's Old City Hall is a chance to think big, but timid bureaucracy is stifling its potential

Toronto’s landmark courthouse has the potential to be reimagined as a vibrant public space, but critics say red tape and half-measures risk leaving the historic site underused. (The Globe and Mail)

Forgotten Toronto: How Liberty Village got its name — and the brutal legacy of Canada's first women's prison

Before it became a hub of condos and cafes, Liberty Village was home to Canada’s first women’s prison, where thousands endured abuse, forced labour, and medical experimentation. (Toronto Star)

McGill curator investigates 10,000-year-old whale bones found in Ontario

A McGill curator is tracing 10,000-year-old humpback whale fossils found in Smiths Falls, shedding light on the ancient Champlain Sea that once covered southern Ontario and Quebec. (CTV News)

GET SOCIAL WITH US

Image Credits

Exhibit display closeup, Liberation on the Dance Floor: Reflective Nostalgia, November 22, 2024. Image by Syriah Bailey.

Detail, cover for Wheeling through Toronto. Cover design by Val Cook. Courtesy of University of Toronto Press.

2 Queen Street West. Image by Adrien Williams, Courtesy of Zeidler Architecture Inc.

Tour participants, Resistance and Reconciliation. June 15, 2025. Image by Jesse McDougall.

Tour participants, Along the Shore, August 7, 2025. Image by Hammad Khalil.

Tour participants at the old Cherry Street Hotel, Canary District, June 5, 2025. Image by Oscar Akamine.

Tour participants, Yonge and St. Clair: Reflections of Beauty, July 5, 2025. Image by Oscar Akamine.

Vendor and patron at a street chestnut cart. Courtesy York University Libraries, ASC61806

Collage of athletes from the York South-Weston neighbourhood, circa 2025. Image by Ekua Cudjoe.

Tour at Uptown Toronto, Uptown Uncovered, August 22, 2025. Image by Oscar Akamine.

Tour participants on the Pedalling the Parks tour, Sugar Beach, August 7, 2022.

Tour at the Baby Point Gates, May 12, 2019. Image by Kristen McLaughlin.

Streetwalk stop at Yonge and St. Clair, Diners, Drinks, and Delis tour, July 24, 2025.

Tour participants near Alvin Avenue, Yonge and St. Clair: Reflections of Beauty, July 5, 2025. Image by Oscar Akamine.

Princes' Gates, Exhibition Place, June 22, 2017. Image by Herman Custodio.

Tour participants, Big Stories in Little India, July 6, 2025. Image by Oscar Akamine.

World Cup Soccer celebrations in Little Italy, College Street West, circa 1998. Courtesy of City of Toronto Archives.

Colourized photo of veterans of the War of 1812, October 1861. Jacob Snider is fourth from left. Toronto Public Library.

Heritage Toronto staff, December 11, 2024. Image by Herman Custodio.