August 2025

TOURS

Explore Toronto's Black history and the power of community with Making Change at Honest Ed's

FEATURED TOUR

$9.85 FEE

Start: 581 Bloor Street West

August marks Emancipation Month - a time to honour the long and ongoing struggle for Black freedom, and to uplift the stories of resistance, resilience, and community that have shaped Toronto. Though Emancipation Day commemorates the end of slavery in the British Empire on August 1, 1834, it was only formally recognized in Canada in 2021 - a 200-year delay that reflects how Black history has too often been sidelined in our national story.

This month, we invite you to walk these histories with us as we explore how one iconic Toronto intersection - Bloor and Bathurst - became a hub for Black-owned businesses, grassroots activism, and community-building. Discover how the famous bargain store, Honest Ed's, served the local Black community and also thrived as a landing pad for newcomers and a hub for culture and organizing.

Black History Unburied

FEATURED COMMUNITY EVENT

FREE (Registrations encouraged)

Location: Cabbagetown Farmers' Market (191 Winchester Street)

Continue your Emancipation Month learning journey with free guided tours through the Toronto Necropolis! Meet us at our tent at the Cabbagetown Farmers’ Market and discover the lives of notable Black community members buried at one of the city’s oldest cemeteries, from freedom seekers to business leaders, from restaurateurs to Canada’s first Black postman.

Along the Shore

NEW FOR 2025

$9.85 FEE

Start: St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts Mural (27 Front Street East)

Walk the secret shoreline of Toronto! For thousands of years, the waterfront ran along Front Street. Why did it shift south? Join us to find out on this guided tour where we’ll trace the life of the St. Lawrence neighbourhood in 1841, before the shoreline was built over during industrialization. Visit spots like the Flatiron building and Canada’s First Parliament site, and discover how the shoreline helped shape the city.

Pedalling the Parks

$9.85 FEE

Start: Marilyn Bell Tennis Courts (1275 Lake Shore Blvd West)

Bring your bike, helmet, and curiosity, and cycle along the Martin Goodman Trail with us to trace how Lake Ontario’s edge has evolved through industry, development, and restoration. Ride through parks, beaches, and other green spaces to discover their connections to Lake Ontario and explore the lasting ties between nature and city life.

Firsts on Front Street

COMMUNITY EVENT

FREE (Registrations encouraged)

Location: 149 King Street East

Meet us at St. Lawrence Market for free guided tours to explore the stories that shaped early Toronto, and the people, places, and events often left out of its founding myths. From the first public washroom to courtrooms, cholera pits, and Clown Riots, we’ll discover how a jumble of markets, jails, and moral reformers came together to create Toronto.

The 1918 Anti-Greek Riots

$9.85 FEE

Start: 433 Yonge Street

Over one August weekend in 1918, Toronto erupted. Sparked by a single incident at the White City Café, what followed was three days of looting, violence, and destruction targeting the city’s Greek community. Join us as we walk the path of one of Canada’s largest race riots and uncover the tensions of a post-war city on edge. Then, learn how the city’s Greek-Canadian community responded by rebuilding, resisting, and reclaiming their place in Toronto’s history.

Flying with Billy Bishop

$9.85 FEE

Start: 659R Queens Quay W

From its early days as a hub for seaplanes and swing bands to a modern gateway for millions, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has connected this city to the world for over 85 years. Join us on this waterfront walk where we’ll taxi down memory lane to uncover the airport’s unique past, the community around it, and the ways this site has shaped (and been shaped by) global events and local residents. No boarding pass required!

Heritage and Change at King's College Circle

NEW FOR 2025

$9.85 FEE

Start: Alumni Gate U of T (155 King's College Road)

Discover the fascinating architecture tucked within the University of Toronto campus, from repurposed 19th-century homes to innovative examples of modern design. On this tour, see how evolving styles and spaces have shaped the way the university lives, learns, and grows.

Canary District: Movement and Migration

NEW FOR 2025

$9.85 FEE

Start: 409 Front Street East

How have movement and migration shaped the Canary District? Trace the transformation of one of Toronto’s oldest industrial crossroads into a vibrant new community. We’ll explore the layers of change, from its early days as a shipping hub and working-class enclave, to its role in the 2015 Pan Am Games and today’s growing urban village. 

Uptown Uncovered

NEW FOR 2025

$9.85 FEE

Start: Montgomery Square (2388 Yonge Street)

Long before condos and coffee chains, “Uptown” was just North Toronto - a patchwork of farmland and cow paths. On this walk through thew Yonge-Eglinton neighbourhood, we’ll uncover the civic spirit that shaped one of Toronto’s most dynamic areas. From public schools built by local advocacy to repurposed post offices and rebellious mayors, discover how residents - past and present - transformed this former suburb into a vibrant city hub.

The Edible Path

NEW FOR 2025

$116.00 FEE

Start: Toronto Bicycle Tours (124 St. Patrick Street)

Hop on a bike with Toronto Bicycle Tours for this cycling and culinary adventure exploring the city’s rich and vibrant food scene. Ride through Toronto’s tastiest stories, from the modern-day spice trade to how different parts of a chef’s identity shape a new dinner menu. Appetite required!

Resistance and Reconciliation

NEW FOR 2025

$9.85 FEE

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

What can public art teach us about the land we walk on? Join us as we explore the stories, experiences, and ongoing contributions of Indigenous communities in Toronto through art by local Indigenous artists and storytellers. Along the way, learn about life before colonization, the legacies of the Indian Act and residential schools, and how art became a tool for visibility, reclamation, and reconciliation.

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

PLAQUES

Share Your Condolences to Conrad the Raccoon

On the morning of July 9, 2015, the body of a raccoon (soon nicknamed Conrad) was found on the sidewalk near 819 Yonge Street. What followed became a viral moment in Toronto history. As the hours passed, a makeshift memorial of flowers, candles, and notes grew around him, and Conrad became a social media sensation.

On the 10th anniversary of #DeadRaccoonTO, we've unveiled a self-funded, curated plaque commemorating the significance of this event - not just as a viral sensation, but as a reminder of how urban wildlife shapes our daily lives and connects Torontonians in unexpected ways. If you're in the area, before Tuesday, August 12, stop by to read the plaque and scan the QR code to share your memories of Toronto's most beloved trash panda.

Commemorating Passenger Pigeons

Flock fast to our newest addition - the Passenger Pigeon plaque! Installed this month, near 58 Marine Parade Drive, in Humber Shores Park, this plaque is perfect for bird watchers and path walkers to learn more about Toronto's natural heritage.

The plaque describes the extinction of what was once one of the most abundant birds in the area, and its lakeshore location in Mimico was chosen to remind onlookers about the importance of wildlife conservation and the consequences of human activities on biodiversity.

Check the plaque out in-person or read Preserving the memory of the passenger pigeon, highlighting our plaque, in Spacing Magazine.

Help Us Tell Toronto's Stories

Toronto’s history is made up of many voices. With your support, more of them can be heard – especially those long overlooked.

Your donation helps us share inclusive, powerful stories that reflect the diversity and spirit of our communities, bringing the city's heritage to life through walking tours, plaques, digital exhibits, and more. 

Image Credits

Tour participants, Making Change at Honest Ed's, July 20, 2024. Image by Hammad Khalil.

Black History Unburied community event, Riverdale Park, July 23, 2024. Image by Rachna Shah.  

A walking tour passes the Flat Iron building at Church and Front Street, in the rain. Image by Herman Custodio.

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

Tour participants at St. James Cathedral, 106 King Street East, June 15, 2024. Image by Rachna Shah.

Anti-Greek riots tour, July 7, 2019. Image by Herman Custodio. 

Tour participants, Flying with Billy Bishop, September 8, 2024. Image by Hammad Khalil.   

Convocation Hall, King's College Circle, July 20, 2024. Image by Doug Wooster. 

Scenes from Eglinton Avenue West, a short publication nominated for the 2018 Heritage Toronto Awards.

Tour participants, Canary District, June 5, 2025. Image by Oscar Akamine.

Tour participants on the "Space Age at the Park" tour, 1 Palace Pier, June 25, 2023. Image by Ashley Duffus.  

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

Passenger Pigeon. Image by Meg Sutton.