Jul 2023

EXPLORE & LEARN

Growing our Future

Explore our new digital experience, "Growing our future: Commemorating 100 years of the Chinese Immigration Act", written by Jingshu Yao, Programs Coordinator under Heritage Toronto's Equity Heritage Initiative. Featuring original illustrations by Rosena Fung, the digital story details the rich farming legacy and many contributions of Toronto's Chinese community over the past 100 years.

TOURS

Have you signed up yet?

Running from June to October, the program features a total of 74 tours on subjects ranging from Black heritage on King Street East, to early Indigenous history surfaced by Toronto's archaeology, to immigrants working together to build community in Bloorcourt, to 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy in the Church-Wellesley Village.

Upcoming tours in July are featured below. As spots are limited and registration is required for paid tours, we suggest you sign up soon!

Stories of South Hill

Thursday, July 6 | 6:30 - 8:00 PM

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Sir Winston Churchill Park (301 St. Clair Avenue West)

Wander through the leafy streets of South Hill, as we learn about the early 20th-century history and architecture of the neighbourhood. On this walk, we’ll explore community green spaces and hear stories of wealthy heiresses, war heroes and everyday families, and how they are linked to historically significant properties, including a collection of Eden Smith homes and a former Mothercraft hospital and residence.

Space Age at the Park

Saturday, July 8 | 3:00 - 4:00 PM

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

1 Palace Pier

Stroll through South Humber Park where a Canadian Heritage River meets Lake Ontario. Before we fly to the stars, we’ll learn about the public art that depicts the area’s Indigenous history. Then, it’s a pit stop to discover how a major natural disaster inspired a futuristic comfort station, known as the Oculus, and how its quirky UFO shape embodies the optimism of the postwar era.

Jewish Life on Lawrence

Sunday, July 9 | 3:00 - 5:00 PM

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Eitz Chaim school (1 Viewmount Avenue)

Follow the post-war development of the Jewish community on Lawrence Avenue West. We’ll visit the area’s many schools, yeshivas and synagogues, including Congregation Habonim Toronto, founded by Holocaust survivors; and the iconic bakeries and kosher restaurants like United Bakers Dairy Restaurant, where a lunchtime meal has become a decades-long Jewish family tradition.

NOTE: At the July 9 presentation of this tour, there will be a post-tour visit of United Bakers Dairy Restaurant with food tastings.

This tour was developed with the support of a generous donation by Andrew and Sharon Himel and the Himel Family.

PLAQUES

Image Credits

Immigration Act illustration, June 2023, art by Rosena Fung.

"Benvenuto," Avenue Road, circa 1909. Image: City of Toronto Archives.

South Humber Park Pavilion (the Oculus), circa 1960. Image: Toronto Parks, Forestry, and Recreation.

Bialik Hebrew Day School on Viewmount Avenue, 1961. Image: City of Toronto Archives.

Plaque unveiling event, Nathan Phillips Square, July 1, 2023. Image by Johnny Wu.