This weekend, Toronto opens its historical, cultural, bio-natural, and alcohol-seasoned doors to the public — all for free. Along with favourites like Casa Loma and Old City Hall, here are a few hidden gems that you can add to your itinerary.
Toronto Necropolis and Crematorium
“We die in a good cause; Canada will yet be free,” are the alleged final words of Samuel Lount as he made his way to the gallows and marched to his death. In 1838, Samuel Lount and Peter Mathews, lead rebels in the 1837 Rebellion, were sentenced to execution by hanging for high treason. In what was then customary fashion, families picnicked while taking in the civil ceremony. But no brave deed goes without commemoration: in 1893, a 15-foot granite monument was erected in their honour in the Toronto Necropolis. This grand monument stands alongside many decorative resting stones that fill the Gothic grounds of the Necropolis, including the gravestones for Toronto’s first mayor, William Lyon Mackenzie, and the Globe and Mail’s founder George Brown — along with his employee (and eventual murderer), George Bennett. With historical discussions offered throughout the weekend, the serene grounds are not only home to some of Toronto’s most spectacular Victorian architecture, but the many memorials unearth the most pivotal — and often morbid — moments in Toronto’s history. Canadian history aficionados and Poe fans alike will do well to stop by.
CAMH Historic Walls
Walking along a 2230-foot wall may not seem like the most thrilling way to spend the weekend, but the CAMH Historic Walls are by no means your standard brick structure. They were built in 1860 by psychiatric patients of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health was once called, and served to conceal the very people who constructed them. Hundreds of names, dates, symbols and other inscriptions were carved into the walls by inhabitants of the asylum. During Doors Open Toronto, CAMH will offer free, guided tours of the site, which will elaborate on the history of the walls and explain what the inscriptions can tell us about the people who once lived behind them.
CityTV and Omni Television – Rogers Studios
CityTV recently became my favourite news source when I tuned in to check the weather and caught the tail end of a segment called “Fun with Pickles 101.”
When Rogers Studio opens its doors on May 29, you can visit the production facilities responsible for broadcasting both this segment and other non-pickle related stories across the country. This is the only the second time the studio has been open to the public since it relocated to Dundas Square in 2007, and visitors will once again be able experience the programming of both CityTV and OMNI Television from behind the scenes. Guided tours of the building will not be available, but you can explore the newsrooms, studio spaces, weather centre, and control rooms at your leisure.
Le Meridien King Edward
This real estate grandpa can look back on 108 years filled with history-making visits by illustrious guests such as The Beatles, Ernest Hemingway, Liz Taylor, and Richard Burton. Built in 1903 in the French Renaissance style, this hotel’s main attraction is the Crystal Ballroom — a glitzy chandelier-decorated room that was the party place back in the 1920s. Since the hotel is soon to undergo a full renovation, this weekend might be your last chance to experience the historic charm of this place-de-grandeur. As for another reason to go get your curiosity on, how about this fun fact: the Oscar-nominated animated short, I Met The Walrus is entirely based on the recording of an interview with John Lennon during his stay at The King Edward with Yoko Ono in 1969.
Steam Whistle Brewery/Distillery Historic Denaturing Room
The beauty of the Distillery District makes it worth the trek to this relatively remote neighbourhood. As an added bonus, the Distillery Historic Denaturing Room opens its doors to the public this weekend to examine the process of making industrial alcohol from pure alcohol, as well as the tools and practices of coppersmiths who worked there back in the day. In the 1920s, chemicals were added to the alcohol to render it undrinkable for industrial purposes. Nonsense, you say? If the only alcohol that captures your fancy is the drinkable kind, head over to the Steam Whistle Brewery, located in the John Street Roundhouse — originally a maintenance hall for trains from Union Station. Apart from getting a free tour of the brewery and learning about the building’s various uses, you can get your drink on here, as every tour includes a sample of Steam Whistle.
Textile Museum of Canada
Shapes, patterns, colours, and fabrics — if these words do more than inflict worry about your next laundry run, the Textile Museum of Canada is a must-see for Doors Open Toronto. In line with the multicultural spirit that makes this city distinct, the museum carries a collection of more than 13,000 objects from over 200 countries. Anything that can be done with textiles, you will find here. The fibrespace gallery lets visitors touch various cloths and textiles, educating them about their different characteristics. What’s more, exhibitions of contemporary artists — homegrown as well as from afar — are on display and waiting to be discovered.
